Admin l Thursday, April 12, 2018
LONDON, United Kingdom – Police today arrested nine people as part of a crackdown on violent crime in London. The were arrested in the process of executing a search warrants on suspects. According to the Metropolitan Police, warrants were executed at eight addresses with six men and three women, aged between 14 and 49-years-old, arrested for a range of drugs and firearms offences.
“In addition to the arrests, a number of items were seized from the properties, including a sub-machine gun, a hand-gun, ammunition cash and large quantities of what is believed to be Class A drugs.
“More than 200 officers from units across the Met took part in this morning’s activity, which was led by Operation Viper and forms part of the Trident and Area Crime Command. The operation formed part of a combined and determined effort to identify and target violent criminals across London”, the police said.
Warrants were executed at Dorchester Close, UB5; Blenheim Close, UB6; Anerley Hill, SE19; Nevern Place, SW5; Two addresses in Stephendale Road, SW6; Fulham Road, SW6 and Glenhurst Road, TW8.
“The arrests were made as part of an intelligence-led, five-month operation targeting a violent and sophisticated gang operating in West London who is believed to be involved in drug supply across the city. Officers used a range of covert and overt tactics to identify and target high-level, violent offenders. The operation was supported by the Trident and Area Crime Command, borough officers and other specialist units, including firearms officers, from across the Met”, the statement added.
Commissioner Cressida Dick, who accompanied officers on the raid in Blenheim Close, said: “Tonight, after some really good, strong work over the last few months, we were in a position to go out and execute warrants in relation to a number of people. They are very violent – several of them have a history of violence. One at least is suspected of regularly using firearms and they are being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin.
“Not only have they been, as it appears to us, supplying crack cocaine and heroin but they’ve been making a huge amount of money doing it. They’ve been using violence, they’ve been exploiting vulnerable people and very young people, as young as 14, have been engaged in the drug dealing operation, so they need to be locked up.
“People like this, who may appear to have been operating with impunity for a period of time, cause devastation and fear. It sends a very strong signal to the public, who are very supportive in the police in these sorts of operations, that we are putting a lot of effort into carrying out work like this”, the Met Police said.
