By Eric King-
Over 200 officers raided 20 properties, and arrested 17 suspected drug dealers in a massive drug raid at dawn today, Thursday.
The suspects between the ages of 18 and 43 were arrested as part of the raid. Police say a number of the targets are linked to the recent spate of gang violence in the borough. The raid was conducted in co-ordination with local journalists and some freelancers, many of whom have joined the media community in campaigning for a crackdown on drug dealing in the borough which has led to numerous murders. Drugs has always been big business, but has led to several killings in East and West London over the years, with many caught up in these killings just by association, the eye of media.com have heard from many sources close to a numbe rof past investigations.
Chief Supt. Adelakan told reporters;
“In recent months, gang-related crime has been responsible for a number of shootings and stabbings in the borough and this morning’s raids are part of our plan to bring the individuals responsible for this violence to justice,” said Chief Supt Ade Adelekan.
“I hope when people in Newham wake up today and see the number of addresses we have been to and the amount of people that are in custody, they are reassured that we are committed to ridding the streets of drug dealers,” he added over a cup of tea after the raids.
Scores of specialist officers smashed into suspicious addresses just after 5am, sealing all exits from the houses before the doors were smashed down and stormed by officers inside who arrested the suspects before they could arm themselves or escape.
Cops seized copious amounts of drugs and cash, as well as a gun. The suspects will be charged for a range of drug supply offences, and one firearm offence..
Police raiding houses in Newham to secure the arrests of known drug dealers
Chief Supt Adelekan said the dealers “should be thankful it’s us coming to break the door down and not a rival gang member.”
This morning’s operations were about “bringing to justice those at the head of criminal networks linked to supplying the Class A drugs that have fuelled some of the violence we have seen”, Chief Supt Adelekan added.
He said drug gangs are the biggest concern of people in Newham and it is important the police are seen taking affirmative action to help allay fears.
“For those drug dealers still out there this is really just the beginning – we will seek them out and we will bring them to justice,” he said.
Police raid houses in Newham to secure the arrests of known drug dealers
“What I’m simply saying to the community is we are trying our hardest to make sure we do everything we possibly can to bring those people to justice.”
Rival gang members frequently attack other dealers, arming themselves with knives and sometimes guns. They often rob them , taking thousands of pounds from them, and a s a result sparking a revenge plot which often ends up in a blood bath. Gangs rarely ever live by the principle of treated others how they want to be treated, failing to realise that a dealer who has illegally amassed £5,000 or more will be furious if it is all taken from him at once by a rival. In many cases, drug dealers work for more establish and hardened criminals, who are prepared to attack their workers in the event they fall victim to a robbery, or who will sometimes seek the culprit of the robbery. Yet, this reality seldom deters gangs from robbing others, as they generally use their estimation of their intended victim’s street credentials to determine how safe their plan to rob them is.
Some rivals don’t even consider who their victim is affiliated with in the drug world, they simply seize an opportunity to rob once tipped off about the presence of plenty of money or drugs. Everytime officers raid drug dealers, they ironically save them the prospect of killing someone or being killed by someone, but the paymasters of the dealers will still expect those caught by police to replace the drugs or money lost. The drugs world is a real jungle, police have a duty to stop them.
Detective Inspector Jim McKee, from the Trident Central Gangs Unit, said: “This proactive operation is part of Trident’s ongoing work to disrupt drug dealing operation in London, which blight communities across the capital.
“Much of the violence seen on the streets of Newham can be traced back to disputes between rival gangs involved in the distribution of Class A drugs.”
The 20 raids took place mostly in Newham, with properties in East Ham, The Royal Docks, Manor Park, Canning Town, Plaistow, Silvertown, Forest Gate and Upton Park. Properties were also raided in Leytonstone, Romford and Wimbledon.
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