Six held in nine drugs raids across Weymouth and Portland (From Dorset Echo)

Six held in nine drugs raids across Weymouth and Portland

8:40am Tuesday 9th February 2010

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SIX men have been arrested in a series of raids in Weymouth and Portland aimed at tackling the trade in Class A drugs.

Officers swooped on nine premises in the borough including the Crescent Auto Centre in Weymouth’s Park District yesterday morning.

Other raids took place as part of ‘Operation Dismantle’ at two homes off Abbotsbury Road, a house in Overcombe Drive, Preston and several other addresses across Weymouth and Portland.

A Dorset Police spokesman said five men from the Weymouth area, aged between 36 and 48, were arrested in connection with drug offences.

In addition a 62-year-old man from Weymouth was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

The spokesman said a ‘significant quantity’ of suspected stolen goods, drugs and cash were found during the raids and the substances seized are now being forensically examined.

Speaking yesterday at the scene of the Crescent Street Auto Centre raid, Inspector Pete Meteau of Weymouth police, said: “These raids are part of an operation taking place throughout the county to disrupt the supply of drugs.

“The focus of the raids has been on Weymouth and Portland and the supply of drugs in Weymouth.

“The warrants were executed simultaneously at around 9.30am at one commercial and eight private premises in Weymouth and Portland.

“These have been quite high profile raids with warrants executed under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

“These raids have been part of a long, ongoing investigation into the supply of drugs in Dorset as a whole.

“The raids were in the preparatory stages for months leading up to today’s activities.

“Dorset Police is committed to disrupting the supply of drugs wherever it manifests itself.”

Insp Meteau added: “Through the operation we are tackling alleged serious and organised crime which can have an affect on local communities.

“This operation was as a result of intelligence gathered over many months and we would urge anyone with any information to come forward and talk to us in confidence.

“It is essential that communities tell us about what is going on in their area so that we can tackle those issues that most affect local people.”

Around 10 officers were still at the scene of the Crescent Street raid at 11am yesterday in a police 4x4 vehicle and a van.

Some of the officers were later seen labelling plastic bags in the back of a police vehicle.

Other officers at the scene were also seen in the back of a Thrifty hire van.

A house in Overcombe Drive, Weymouth was also raided.

A local businessman, who did not wish to be named, said between 20 and 30 officers in three patrol cars and four vans were at the scene from around 10am yesterday.

The man said he believes several cars that were due to be put through their MOT tests at the Crescent Street garage had to be turned away after the raids began.

Two raids in Westham also took place a short distance apart.

One property was raided in Swallow Court, a block of flats on Abbotsbury Road, while another was raided in nearby Perth Street.

In Perth Street, a man entered the raided house while it was being guarded by police. Several minutes later the man was escorted out of the house by officers and put into a police van in handcuffs.

One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: “I had dropped my partner off at work and when I got back the police wouldn’t let me up the road. It was obvious it was a drugs raid.”

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