Thames Valley Police arrest 55 in 'show of strength'
Police carried out three days of action across the force area
Last updated 19th Jan 2026
Thames Valley Police has mounted a major operation against serious and organised criminals - arresting 55 people across the force area.
Hundreds of officers and staff came together to disrupt organised crime groups in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire who are linked to high-value motor vehicle thefts, robberies, business burglaries and other serious offences to make money illegally.
Police say the arrests were for offences such as high-value motor vehicle thefts, robberies, business burglaries and other serious crimes.
There were 19 in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes on Tuesday, 12 in Oxfordshire on Wednesday, and 24 in Berkshire last Thursday.
Impact
Assistant Chief Constable Dennis Murray, who led the operation, said: “We have made a substantial impact on organised crime groups operating in the Thames Valley with these three days of action to protect our communities.
“It was incredible to see our people come together for a dedicated operation to fight serious and organised crime across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire last week.
“We will continue to work hard to serve victims, and we want any reading this to know they’re not alone, we’re here to support them and will do everything we can to bring those responsible to justice.”
In total, Police conducted 70 arrest attempts in every county, resulting in arrests for armed robbery, conspiracy to burgle, theft of motor vehicles, handling stolen goods and more. We also found numerous people who were wanted for failing to appear at court or on recall to prison.
Live facial recognition was used, with deployments in Milton Keynes, High Wycombe and Reading for the first time, as well as Oxford for the second time, to prevent crime and protect the community.
There were three matches with our bespoke list of wanted people in Oxford, one of which used a picture from 15 years old, all of whom were dealt with without needing to be arrested. Police say they were also able to speak to hundreds of members of the public about the technology and provide more crime prevention advice.
Highlights
In Slough, officers arrested eight people suspected of being part of an organised crime group suspected of stealing high-value vehicles in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and London, in six simultaneous dawn warrants. They were then taken to a police station where they were charged with 56 offences and remanded in custody. Police also seized weapons, including knives.
In Buckinghamshire, officers arrested five people on suspicion of handling stolen goods and failing to appear at court and seized large quantities of suspected stolen tools seized and 120+ brand new 3D printers during a dawn warrant at a traveller site.
In Oxford, officers arrested two people on suspicion of modern slavery offences during a dawn warrant at Oxo Bar & Hotel in George Street following a long-running CID investigation.
In Reading, officers arrested the force’s highest priority retail crime offender, who will be charged with 22 offences and 17 breaches of court bail.
Incredible
ACC Murray said: “We have achieved so much with this major operation to fight organised crime, with numerous arrests, charges, seizures and more.
“We are proud of the incredible work of our officers and staff to plan and execute these days of action so thank you to them.
“However, we know there will always be more to do to tackle serious and organised acquisitive crime and serve victims; and we will never stop.”