400kg class A drugs seized and 117 arrested as west of England police forces unite to crack down on drug crime
10 October 2024, 14:57
West of England Police Forces unite to target drug crime with 117 arrested and more than 400 kilograms of suspected Class A drugs seized in 7-days.
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The UK’s motorways and main roads are a key area for drug gangs to courier illegal drugs to places like Devon and Cornwall.
Police claim with the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition or ANPR cameras there is a metaphorical ‘ring of steel’ surrounding the South west with nowhere for the criminal gangs to go without the police knowing about it.
Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire – together with the South west Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) - joined forces in a coordinated effort to combat drug-related crime on our roads and in our communities.
Read more: Organised crime gangs using AI to manipulate children into drug dealing, LBC investigation finds
United against drug crime: South West police join forces to target drug criminality
Between 30th September and 6th October, they managed to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups, safeguarding our communities. Across the week, results included:
- 117 arrests for drugs-related offences including possession, supply, trafficking, drug importation and drug driving
- 19 people charged with offences to date
- The seizure of nearly 400kg of suspected Class A drugs and cannabis, along with a large number of ecstasy pills
- Over £55,000 in cash seized suspected to be linked to drug crime
- 109 education and engagement events with local communities and schools
- At least 23 adults and children safeguarded after vulnerability checks
- 6 weapons seized
In Devon and Cornwall alone the breakdown of figures included. 28 arrests with three people charged and two convicted of drug related crime. Seizures of suspected drugs included:
- 7.26 kilograms of Class A drugs, including over 5 kilograms of cocaine
- 3000 doses of Ecstasy
- 3.99 kilogram of cannabis.
Additionally, £45,555 of criminal funds were recovered, six bank accounts handling profits from crime were frozen and 13 vehicles were impounded.
West of England Police pursue suspects in drug crackdown
Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said: “I and my fellow commissioners have been working as a team across the South West because drugs came up as an issue that our communities in all our force areas wanted tackling.
This approach means we’re not merely displacing the problem to a neighbouring force area.” Chief Superintendent Sheon Sturland for Devon & Cornwall Police said: “As a result of these interventions and disruptions, Devon & Cornwall Police and our partner forces in Operation Scorpion have sent a message to criminals – the south west is no place for drugs.
“Much of the activity for Operation Scorpion 9 was based around intelligence received from the public and other sources which informed an extensive operation using ANPR at static locations across the region and installed in our vehicles.
The sting operation was helped by the public supplying police forces with intelligence.
West of England Police question suspects in drug crackdown
Signs to look for include:
- an increase in visitors or vehicles at a residence
- new, unfamiliar faces appearing frequently
- changes in a resident’s behaviour—becoming secretive, withdrawn, or aggressive
- young people with unexplained, expensive new items (clothes, phones, etc.)
- residents or young people going missing for extended periods
- young people seeming unfamiliar with your community or where they are
- suspicious vehicles - criminals often use cars, vans, and other vehicles to traffic drugs, cash, weapons, and vulnerable people. If you notice a vehicle repeatedly coming and going at odd times, parked in unusual locations, or being driven suspiciously, take note of the make, model, colour, and registration number. Even a small detail could be the key to disrupting a criminal network.
Contact Devon & Cornwall Police: https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/
Contact Crimestoppers, 100% anonymously: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ or call 0800 555 111
