Ten arrested as Bedfordshire Police crackdown on drug activity in Luton

A shotgun, machete and thousands of pounds worth of cash, cannabis and cocaine have been seized as police continue to target serious and organised crime.

Following three incidents that took place on Monday (15 August), eight men and two teenage boys were arrested on suspicion of drug, theft and weapons offences.

At around 1.20am police were called to reports of a disturbance in Pomfret Avenue, Luton, where six men were reported to be breaking into a property. On arrival, officers discovered a cannabis factory at the location with almost 65 plants.

One man, in his 20s from Luton, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of the cultivation of cannabis.

In a coordinated response less than one hour later, officers tracked a vehicle suspected to have been used in the earlier break-in to Bedford, where reports were received of another burglary in progress.

A search of the area led to the seizure of two vehicles, cash, items of clothing and a mobile phone. Six men in their teens and 20s, all from Luton or Houghton Regis, were arrested on suspicion of burglary and theft of a motor vehicle.

Once in custody, three of the men were further arrested on suspicion of the cultivation of cannabis, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and robbery respectively.

In a separate incident later on Monday, at around 3.20pm, officers were alerted to a vehicle and carried out a traffic stop in Luton.

It was discovered that the vehicle had been stolen during a burglary in Derbyshire earlier this month. Officers proceeded to search the vehicle and found a sawn-off shotgun, machete and Class A drugs.

Two teenage boys and one man in his 20s, all from Luton, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including possession of firearms, possession of an offensive weapon and possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.

Working on the investigation, DC David Elias said: “These latest arrests in our bid to tackle organised crime are a result of some commendable proactive policing. On each occasion we saw multiple specialist units pull together at an incredible speed to make these arrests.

“At times policing is challenged on its enforcement of drug related crimes. Theft, burglary, weapon carrying, and even human trafficking are all unfortunate by-products of organised crime groups and gang activity. We as a force will not let up in our efforts to tackle these issues.”

All of those arrested have been bailed, while further enquiries continue.

Anyone with information about drug dealing or wider organised crime activity can report it via our online reporting tool or by calling 101. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

Every report is fed into police intelligence and can help detectives build up a picture of organised crime, even if police do not act on the information straight away.

For more details about the response to organised crime in Bedfordshire and where to get support, visit Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation.