Knife crime team officers retrieved a blade from a car after pulling it over for a separate perceived offence.
The county team were patrolling through Mansfield when they saw a vehicle with reported links to drug activity.
Despite officers switching on their blue lights, the car didn’t stop, with a short pursuit taking place around the area.
This carried on for a few minutes, until the driver pulled up and got out – leaving the vehicle to damage a police car when it rolled back against it.
The driver then ran into a property in Alcock Avenue, where a suspect was detained, shortly before 11.40am on Wednesday (21 February).
Searches were then carried out by the officers in attendance, which led to a combat-style knife being recovered from inside the vehicle.
No drugs were ultimately found following the stop, although police did seize multiple phones.
A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a knife in a public place, failing to stop, and criminal damage.
PC Matthew Storor, of Nottinghamshire Police’s county knife crime team, said: “Our regular patrols allow our team to be out on the roads and follow up suspicious activity as we see it.
“After receiving intelligence suggesting a car could have links to drug supply, we followed this up and were able to recover a knife from inside the vehicle.
“Despite no drugs being discovered in this instance, it provided a good example of why the knife crime team investigates suggestions of drug activity.
“While targeting knife-carriers is our main goal, we do also target those with perceived links to drug dealing, as the two do often go hand in hand.
“We’re pleased to see that our patrols have resulted in a knife being taken off the streets and a suspect being arrested in connection with this incident.”