MORE than 100 suspected criminals have been arrested in less than two months of a massive crackdown.

Police in Burnley and Pendle launched Operation Fugo at the beginning of last month with a brief to wage war on ‘serious acquisitive crime’ such as burglaries, robberies and vehicle crime.

The initiative has seen police execute warrants on the homes of suspects across the boroughs and has also unearthed huge cannabis farms in a disused Burnley pub and homes in the town and Nelson.

A police chief has hailed the operation a huge success, saying more than 40 warrants executed had made residents in Burnley and Pendle safer.

Det Insp Dean Holden said year-on-year figures proved the crack-down was worthwhile.

Statistics show drugs crimes, robberies, burglaries and vehicle offences across Pennine division — which includes Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale — down by more than nine per cent last month compared with August 2007.

This month, there have been 15 per cent fewer serious acquisitive crimes across the three boroughs compared with the same period last year.

DI Holden said: “We are very pleased. In Burnley the reduction in crime is great.

"It is our key area and in the last couple of months we have reduced serious acquisitive crime by 30 per cent.

“That equates to 46 fewer crimes, which represents 46 fewer victims of crime and that is fantastic.”

Mr Holden added: “People have got up in the morning and found cars have gone or their homes have been burgled and that’s why these crimes are our key performance targets.

“Burglaries, robberies and vehicle crime are what people worry about but we are tackling them.”