After months of doing intelligence work and gathering information fom the community, police officers recently raided more than ten establishments and homes of suspected drug dealers in South Cumbria, UK. This is the third part of their crackdown against illegal drugs tagged as “Operation Arrowhead“. Their target are producers and dealers of marijuana, heroin and including anabolic steroids.

The team which is composed of 55 police officers raided 13 properties and was able to arrest 6 suspects. They were arrested in different locations in Barrow, Dalton, Ulverston, Grange and Kendal. In conducting searches on shops and houses, the police officers carefully planned and coordinated all their actions to avoid leak of any information that may ruin the operation. While this strategy is effective, people in the community were amazed and frightened.

Based on the report of the Evening Mail,a reporter and a photographer were allowed to witness the searches and arrests. An interview with a man working on a nightshift said that he heard all the banging of the doors. “I thought I was dreaming. I couldn’t believe it when I looked out of the window and saw what appeared to be hundreds of coppers racing inside the house next door.”

Chief Superintendent Paul Kennedy who head the team, said that all his team is committed to put to an end these drug dens and bring those dealers to jail. He said, “We want to put pressure on the people involved in drugs and tell the public why we are here.”

According to Detective Chief Inspector Mike Forrester, their action were based on community-based intelligence. The community is helping them in curtailing the misuse of drugs in South Cumbria. “Officers of all ranks worked together to target specific individuals and as a result, six people were arrested and a significant amount of drugs and steroids were seized,” he said.

He also said that it is not the last for the Operation Arrowhead. They want to send a clear message to drug dealers that they are serious in finding and arresting them. “Our crackdown in the area won’t end today – dedicated teams of officers in South Cumbria work closely with communities to tackle drugs offences and make our streets safer. This operation sends out a clear message to offenders that the use or supply of drugs in the area won’t be tolerated – by the community or police – and we will continue to catch offenders and bring them to justice,” he said. Inspector Forrester is grateful to the members of the public who have provided them with vital nuggets of information that led to the successful operation yesterday.

Aside from the arrests, police officers were able to seized cash and thousands of anabolic steroids. Officers searched a house in Dalton and seized around £1,000 cash and thousands of pounds worth of anabolic steroids from a 27-year-old man. He was charged with possession with the intent to supply anabolic steroids. A suspect from Barrow was arrested for heroin charges. A man from Ulverston was arrested for minor drug offenses. The other 3 were arrested in Kendal. In total, the police siezed £5,000 worth of drugs which include anabolic steroids and cash worth £5,000.

The Evening Mail provided a contact number for those people who want to help. As long as the information is related to the misuse of drugs, they can contact the police on 0845 33 00 247 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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