34 held in Tower Hamlets drug raids

 

Cannabis farm similar to the two uncovered in raid

Cannabis farm similar to the two uncovered in raid, Pic: Wikipedia

Class A drugs, cannabis and thousands of pounds in cash have been found as a result of a six-month operation to crack down on drug and gang crime in Tower Hamlets and Newham.

Thirty-four people aged between 16 and 42 have been arrested during the operation, which began last autumn and culminated this week in three raids on 12 addresses.

Two cannabis farms were uncovered, along with £5,000 cash and over 1,000 rocks of crack cocaine. Across the whole operation, 29 of the 40 properties raided were in Tower Hamlets.

The final phase was carried out in the early hours of Wednesday (April 27), during which over 100 officers from the Trident and Area Crime Command along with borough police raided addresses across Tower Hamlets and Newham, leading to nine arrests.

Detective Inspector Rick Stewart from the Trident Central Gangs Unit said: “For the small number who choose to affiliate to this harmful lifestyle, our message is clear – accept the specialist support on offer to leave criminality behind – or face the consequences that are coming to you.

“These raids today are the final phase of an operation that has taken meticulous preparation by our specialist team and fulfills one of our main objectives – to take harmful gang members off the streets and make our communities safer.

“It is part of the continuous work we do to identify, track down and bring down the most prolific offenders linked to street gangs.”

Acting Detective Superintendent Mike Hamer of Tower Hamlets gang crime unit said: “It’s not just about enforcement. We have a range of opportunities on offer to help divert those at risk of getting drawn into gangs in the first place or want to leave.

“This long term operation is an excellent example of the successful tactics we are employing to reduce the criminal activity that fuels violence in the borough.”

Tower Hamlets MPS tweeted yesterday:

More than 20 people have been charged with a variety of drug-related offences, and many are still in police custody.

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