Eight suspected drug “producers”, including and man and a woman in Northampton, have been arrested following a series of raids spanning a large section of the East Midlands.
Today’s swoops targeted suspected dealers in Wolverhampton and Coventry, as well as Northampton, and saw more than 80 officers from Warwickshire, West Mercia, Northamptonshire and the West Midlands execute warrants to disrupt suspected drugs producers at twelve addresses across the region.
The raids formed part of “Operation Viper” and came after the culmination of 10 months of “proactive investigation”
As part of the dawn raids specialist search teams seized a large quantity of suspected Class B drugs, including cannabis plants and associated equipment during the operation.
A 32-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman from Northampton were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to produce Class B drugs.
Three men, aged 35, 40 and 32, and two woman, aged 23 and 38, from Coventry were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to produce Class B drugs.
A 30-year-old woman from Wolverhampton was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to produce Class B drugs.
They are currently in custody where they are awaiting questioning by officers today.
The swoops follow ten arrests made during the summer in Warwickshire that led to the recovery of tens of thousands of pounds worth of crack cocaine and heroin. Those individuals are currently all on police bail pending further enquiries.
The operation was supported by the regional organised crime unit ROCU.
Detective Chief Superintendent Noel McMenamin, of the ROCU, said: “We will continue to support forces by coordinating information and intelligence sharing, and also providing resources to maximise enforcement opportunities to tackle suspected organised crime and in doing so protect our communities from harm.
Detective Inspector Mark Davison added: “While this investigation is in the early stages, this operation highlights the robust action we will take alongside our colleagues in the Regional Organised Crime Unit to arrest anyone we suspect may be involved in the organised supply of drugs into our communities.
“We will continue to investigate and remove the assets of anyone convicted of serious organised crime in the region.”
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