Beds Police Operations Tackle Serious Violence, Organised Crime

Hundreds of arrests have been made, thousands of weapons seized and large quantities of drugs taken off the streets of Bedfordshire as part of two dedicated police operations targeting serious violence and organised criminality across the county.

Bedfordshire Police’s specialist teams under Boson and Operation Costello have continued to deliver strong results, focusing on serious violence, organised crime, gang activity, drug supply and criminal exploitation, as well as addressing the wider harm linked to organised criminal networks.

Between April 2025 and March 2026, their work led to more than 300 arrests, the recovery of over 20 kilos of Class A and Class B drugs, and the seizure of more than £110,000 in criminal cash.

Officers also removed over 3,500 weapons, including a substantial number surrendered as part of a national Home Office initiative to ban ninja swords.

Dedicated Operations

Boson, the force’s dedicated guns and gangs team, plays a central role in reducing knife crime and firearms threats, disrupting county lines and safeguarding vulnerable people. The team has secured over 1,000 years in prison sentences since its inception, with recent successes include the imprisonment of a 19 year old gang member linked to a discarded shotgun and county lines operation, and the charging and remand of a 50 year old Luton man for 11 drugs and weapons offences.

Bedfordshire Police’s specialist Operation Costello unit tackles serious and organised crime, created following the National Crime Agency’s Operation Venetic to confront the county’s most complex and harmful criminal networks. The team has delivered over 540 years of jail sentences, alongside large scale drug seizures and the dismantling of major criminal groups. One recent example includes an intelligence led investigation that dismantled a dangerous organised crime group after months of detailed development work.

Funding Boost and Future Plans

This work will be further strengthened by the recent announcement that the force has secured an additional £7.7 million in government funding to enhance its response to serious and organised crime.

Detective Superintendent Graham Bates said: “Boson and Costello continue to deliver truly high impact results in tackling the serious violence and organised crime that cause the greatest harm in our communities. Their work is vital in dismantling dangerous criminal networks, taking weapons off our streets and bringing high risk offenders to justice. “At the same time, these teams do more than enforcement alone - through strong intelligence led policing, early intervention and close partnership working, they prevent harm before it occurs and protect vulnerable people from being drawn into crime or exploitation. “With this additional funding, we can strengthen this approach even further as Bedfordshire grows and new risks emerge. Boson and Costello will remain central to our response by relentlessly targeting those who pose the greatest threat, protecting the most vulnerable, and ensuring our communities continue to be and feel safe.”

OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFICATION: This article is based on an official press release issued by a Police Force. Document: Dedicated police operations deliver major results against violent and organised crime Source Link: https://www.beds.police.uk/news/bedfordshire/news/2026/april/dedicated-police-operations-deliver-major-results-against-violent-and-organised-crime/

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