DORSET Police have this week been having a heavy crackdown on drug offences across the county, with the PCC warning the police will make the area “hostile” for drug dealers.
Officers, along with Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick, attended an organised raid of a property in Bournemouth on Thursday, July 7, which included a “thorough” search of the flat.
A 36-year-old man from the Poole area was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs.
A 29-year-old woman from the Bournemouth area will attend a voluntary interview in relation to the incident.
The raid was part of the second phase of a regional crackdown on drugs, named Operation Scorpion.
Dorset PCC David Sidwick said: “The five PCCs in the south west have come together with a regional objective to make the region hostile to drug dealing and anti-social drug-takers.
“Operation Scorpion is about putting a ring of steel around the south west.”
Mr Sidwick added Dorset needed a greater focus on tackling the issue, specifically addressing county lines – a method to trafficking drugs into smaller towns and rural areas by exploiting young and vulnerable people.
“Fundamentally, one of the things that was needed in Dorset was a way of taking the fight to the front door of these drug dealers and to address county lines,” Mr Sidwick said.
“Operation Viper is a county lines task force and it uses new neighbourhood enforcement teams in order to achieve these objectives.
“On the first day of Operation Viper we took more than £100,000 worth of drugs out of a house and four very nasty individuals were arrested.”
Sgt Lewis Bailey, who was at the raid on Thursday, said: “Magistrates issued a warrant and today we have got various resources together to execute the warrant.
“Officers have been inside the property, detained the occupants, undertook a thorough search of the address and located class B cannabis, morpheme (class A) and we believe cocaine.
Mr Sidwick added: “I’m really pleased; this is what Operation Viper is all about.
“It’s about taking drugs off the streets, building the intelligence, finding out how the criminals are exploiting our young people through county lines and making a difference for the people of Dorset.
“Operation Viper will continue to happen every day, every week until Dorset Police make a difference.”
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