Super Tornado Two strikes: 24 hours of action tackling serious and organised crime across North Yorkshire

Super Tornado Two strikes: 24 hours of action tackling serious and organised crime across North Yorkshire

64 arrests were made, weapons seized and cash recovered as North Yorkshire Police worked around the clock for 24 hours in the biggest operation in the force’s history.

Yesterday (Wednesday 23 September 2026), officers and staff took part in Operation Super Tornado Two, a 24-hour day of action which saw teams deployed across York and North Yorkshire to target serious and organised crime and those causing the greatest harm to our communities.

Working around the clock, officers, PCSOs and specialist teams joined forces with partner agencies and neighbouring police forces to pursue offenders, disrupt organised crime and protect vulnerable people.

Over the 24-hour period 64 arrests were made, 14 warrants executed, four wanted people located, six weapons seized as well as 14 vehicles and £3,750 in cash was recovered.

Significant quantities of drugs were also seized, including a cannabis cultivation in Northallerton with an estimated street value of around £1 million.

As part of activity targeting organised immigration crime, officers and partners visited 12 high street premises, with the activity resulting in the closure of one premises in York linked to the sale of illegal tobacco. During these visits £1,280 was seized as suspected Proceeds of Crime from a nail bar. 13,000 illegal cigarettes were also seized.

Alongside this enforcement activity, teams were out engaging with our communities. Significant public engagement took place as part of fraud prevention work, rural crime, exploitation, road safety while more than 380 children received educational inputs.

In another first North Yorkshire Police deployed Live Facial Recognition in York for the first time, the system generated 12 positive matches to the individuals on the watchlist. As a result, officers made one arrest, stopped and checked eight individuals subject to Sexual Harm Prevention Orders, and engaged with two people linked to intelligence-related alerts. Officers also spoke with members of the public throughout the operation, explaining how the technology works, why it was being used, and answering questions from those passing by.

Teams also worked closely with partner agencies and neighbouring police forces, with specialist resources deployed across the road network throughout the force area to target criminals on the move. Criminals do not respect geographical boundaries, and effective policing relies on working together to disrupt those who seek to exploit them.

Chief Constable Tim Forber from North Yorkshire Police said: “Operation Super Tornado Two is about taking the fight directly to those who cause the most harm in our communities.

“For 24 hours, our officers and staff worked around the clock across York and North Yorkshire, making arrests, executing warrants, seizing weapons, drugs and cash, targeting wanted offenders and working alongside our partners to protect vulnerable people.

“Importantly, this operation bolsters the work our officers, staff and partners carry out every single day.

“Our teams are out there day in, day out, tackling organised crime, pursuing offenders, protecting vulnerable people and engaging with the communities we serve. Super Tornado Two allows us to bring those efforts together on a much larger scale, increasing our visibility and maximising our impact.

“To those who believe they can bring drugs, violence and criminality into our communities, our message is clear. We will come after you, we will disrupt your activities and we will use every tactic available to us to make North Yorkshire a hostile place for criminals.

“And to our communities, thank you. The information you provide us is invaluable. It helps us identify offenders, safeguard vulnerable people and direct our resources to where they are needed most.”

Activity took place across all of North Yorkshire Police’s command areas, with resources brought together from across the force to provide a highly visible policing presence and target local priorities. The operation covered North Yorkshire’s cities, towns, coastal and rural communities, reflecting the diverse policing challenges faced across the county. While Operation Super Tornado Two saw significant resources brought together for an intensive 24 hours of activity, the work does not stop here.