The latest phase of the crackdown, dubbed Operation Trivium 3, runs next week (20th-24th October) and will see police officers across England and Wales use various means of intelligence, including automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), to identify and stop criminal operations.

Officers will have immediate access to intelligence sharing and translation services via the operations centre at West Midlands Police in Birmingham.

The campaign will also see observers from the police forces of Belgium, Denmark, Latvia, Ireland, Italy, Finland, Spain and other countries will join colleagues from Lithuania, Poland and Romania at work with West Midlands officers during the operation.

Central to the operation is Europol, whose officers will be collecting and sharing the best possible intelligence on known criminal individuals and gangs.

Pasi Kemppainen, director of TISPOL, the European Police Traffic Network, said: 'Trivium 3 showcases good practice in cross border enforcement, the importance of intelligence sharing and the benefits to all sides of effective partnership working. 

'Travelling criminals are a top target within TISPOL’s Roads Policing Activities, and this cross-border operation supports our ongoing operations to deny criminals the use of our roads and protect our communities from the impact of these crimes.'