4:32pm Monday 21st July 2008
By Dan Keel
POLICE have been checking the number plates of vehicles going in and out of Bluewater as part of a two-day operation.
Officers from Kent and Essex police used Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to check cars entering and leaving the shopping centre on July 19 and 20.
More than 220 vehicles were stopped in the operation which was designed to catch vehicles used in previous crimes.
Seven people were arrested for offences which included carrying drugs, not paying for petrol, and stealing a sat nav.
Thirty vehicles were also seized for being driven without a licence.
Kent police's Chief Inspector Richard Watson, who lead the operation, said: "Criminals use vehicles extensively to commit crimes including stealing, drug dealing, transporting stolen goods, entering or leaving a crime scene and human trafficking.
"The operation wasn't just about enforcement though. Crime prevention was one of the main objectives and no crime was reported during the police presence."
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