Twenty-six vehicles, eight arrests and £30k worth of stolen power tools recovered in drug gangs bust

Twenty-six vehicles, eight arrests and £30k worth of stolen power tools have been recovered during a huge police operation over the weekend.

More than 150 cops from units across the Metropolitan Police took part in the operation to disrupt county lines drug gangs that took place on Saturday, August 7, across Croydon, Sutton and Bromley.

In all 367 vehicles were stopped by officers in marked and unmarked vehicles who used intelligence and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to hone in on hotspot areas known for violent crime and drug dealing.

Drug detection dogs from the Met’s Taskforce assisted officers in the search of vehicles stopped throughout the day.

And 26 vehicles were seized, with £30,000 worth of stolen power tools found in one of them.

Police units including the Roads and Transport Policing Command, Dog Support Unit and Special Constabulary acted on intelligence gathered by local gangs units.

The operation also involved Surrey Police, HM Revenue and Customs and the Home Office.

County lines drug dealing often exploits young and vulnerable people by making them transport drugs across the country, specially trained officers were on hand to assist anyone found who was in need of safeguarding during the operation.

Chief Superintendent Dave Stringer, police commander for Croydon, Sutton and Bromley, said: “I am incredibly proud of what we achieved thanks to the Met’s hard-working officers.

“It was remarkable to see such a wide range of specialist skills from so many different units brought together to tackle the problems of county lines and violence.

“I’d like to thank everyone involved, including officers from our Special Constabulary who volunteer their time to police the streets of London and to support crucial operations such as this.

“The Met is committed to tackling violence.

“We will continue to target and arrest criminals, seize their cash, drugs and weapons and make it harder for them to use the city’s roads and transport networks to carry out their crimes.

“I’d like to make it clear that while this may have been an intense day of action, it was a snapshot of the excellent work that is going on 365 days a year across London.

“We will continue to target those bringing misery to communities.

“We cannot work alone to combat violence and the distress it causes among communities. We need everyone to play a role to create lasting and effective solutions.

“If you have information, no matter how small the detail is, about gangs or violence, passing it on can make a difference.”

To report an urgent matter or a crime taking place call 999. Otherwise call 101. Alternatively, you can provide information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.