Five people were arrested after 75 vehicles were stopped by police during a multi-agency task force operation to catch criminals using the roads.

Police released the final figures from the initiative, called Operation Alliance, which also targeted unsafe vehicles.

Two drivers were arrested for suspected drug driving offences, another was arrested for drink driving, one driver failed to stop and their passenger was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon.

A fifth was arrested for driving while disqualified, for having no insurance and no licence.

During the operation 15 vehicles were issued with immediate prohibitions by the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency for serious offences and defects; 16 vehicles were imposed with delayed prohibitions stating defects must be fixed as soon as possible; 24 advisory notes were issued; and nine vehicles were seized for no insurance and licence offences.

A total of 58 traffic offence reports were produced relating to various offences. These included driving with no insurance (nine), no MOT (three), driving a vehicle while illegally using a mobile phone (six), defective tyres (six), wearing no seat belt (nine), no licence (four), for tinted windows (seven), number plate offences (seven), light offences (one) and failing to register a vehicle (one).

Police motorcyclists and officers within marked and unmarked cars patrolled the A12, A14 and surrounding roads in Ipswich, using the car park at Tesco Copdock as a checkpoint area, on Thursday.

The DVLA found nine drivers without road tax, seven paid fines on site of £260 each and one heavy goods vehicle was fined £330 for having no road tax. Trading Standards checked 18 traders and 16 advisory notices were issued.

The Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority checked six vehicles and 28 people were questioned.

Sgt Julian Ditcham, from the Norfolk and Suffolk Roads Policing Unit, said: “A high number of offences were detected in total during the operation and I am pleased with the results.

“I am extremely grateful for my colleagues and partners for their ongoing support and hope this sends a clear message to those who break the law. We have taken dangerous offenders off the road today and have reiterated that any deviations from the law will be dealt with stringently.”

Suffolk PCC Tim Passmore said: “The results speak for themselves and I would like to congratulate all involved in this successful operation. I remain deeply concerned there is still a minority of irresponsible and selfish road users who continue to flout the law with a wanton disregard for their own and other people’s safety.

“So the message for those individuals is you are likely to be caught. Keeping the road network flowing and safe is vital for us as individuals and for the wider economy.”