Ten arrests made in operations to tackle county drugs lines

Thousands of pounds worth of drugs have been seized and several arrests made in a series of operations by Bedfordshire Police’s dedicated gangs and guns unit.

The latest arrest came today (Tuesday) after officers executed a number of warrants at properties in Biggleswade. Searches of the property recovered around £3,000 in cash, around £3,000 worth of suspected class B drugs and an imitation firearm.

As a result three men, all aged in their 20s, were arrested on suspicion of various offences including being in possession of an offensive weapon and being concerned in the supply of class A and B drugs.

It follows a wave of enforcement by the force’s Boson unit last week.

On Friday (15 September) a teenager was arrested in Bedford after officers on a proactive patrol witnessed a man they suspected of handling packages believed to be drugs.

Following a stop and search the boy was found in possession of around £1,000 worth of suspected class A drugs, cannabis and a large amount of cash.

Three men were also arrested in Luton on Tuesday (12 September) after a targeted operation by Boson led to officers discovering a large quantity of cannabis, cash and other drugs paraphernalia.

A man in his 20s from Luton was subsequently charged on suspicion of numerous drug offences, including being concerned in the supply of class B drugs.

The specialist unit made three further arrests on Monday (11 September).

Three men were taken into custody after officers on proactive patrols in Biggleswade recovered two large packages of suspected class A drugs.

Detective Chief Inspector Tom Stean said: “I’m incredibly pleased with the results the team has achieved over the last week, all of which are the result of relentless efforts and hours of dedication.

“So often we are challenged about our focus on drugs and in some ways it’s understandable given the public’s external perspective.

“Drug dealing, county lines and crimes of this nature have what can be referred to as an iceberg effect; on the surface it’s ‘just a bit of weed’, but beneath that is anti-social behaviour, violent crimes and vulnerable people exploited out of their homes, their liberty and in some cases their lives.

“My message to the community is simple: support us. Through reports from the community we’re able to identify where this illegal activity is taking place, who it’s affecting and who needs our help.”

Anyone with any information about drug dealing can report it via beds.police.uk/ro/report or by calling 101.

All this information is fed into police intelligence systems and helps officers build up a picture of serious and organised crime.

For more information visit our Operation Costello section