POLICE have arrested two men in connection with a number of bogus caller scams in the region.

Officers from the North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU) today (FRI) carried out search warrants at addresses in South Shields in a joint operation with local officers.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested in relation to fraud offences and another 30-year-old man has been arrested in relation to immigration and fraud offences. Both are currently in police custody.

The operation was part of co-ordinated enforcement activity targeting those involved in complex and organised fraud targeting elderly people in the North East in attempts to defraud them of thousands of pounds.

The arrests follow a number of reports to police from residents across the North East about receiving calls from people claiming to be Metropolitan police officers, asking residents to withdraw money and hand it over to a courier for safe keeping.

Yesterday, the Northern Echo revealed how several people had been conned out of their savings in similar scams, including an 83-year-old Darlington woman who lost £6,000, a 74-year-old Durham woman who lost £10,000 and an 80-year-old Durham woman who lost £9,000.

Detective Sergeant Jennifer Milsom, from NERSOU's fraud team, said: "The arrests this morning send out a clear message to fraudsters that we are taking action against those we suspect to be involved in fraud.

"This is a scam which is affecting residents on a national level and involves fraudsters intercepting phone lines, holding open lines and posing as other police forces and banking authorities.

"The bank or police will never tell you to take such actions, so if you're asked then be suspicious. Never give out bank details over the phone, even if you believe you are talking to a genuine police officer or bank personnel”.