The Met’s Acting Commissioner Sir Steve House was joined by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on a dawn raid today [31.08.22] carried out by a Specialist Crime Command unit in south London.
The pair joined Proactive Team officers based at Lewisham Police Station to witness the intelligence-led targeted operation, aimed at combating drug-related violence in the area.
A warrant was executed at a property in Norwood Road, Lambeth, where officers discovered class B drugs and paraphernalia, as well as a suspected drugs line phone, which is currently being investigated.
Detective Superintendent Victoria Sullivan, lead for South East based Proactive Teams, said: “Drug dealing inflicts untold harm on our communities. Disrupting the lines of supply is central to our work in tackling violence which is the Met’s top priority. There are strong links between the two.
“This is just one of many enforcement operations being carried out daily as part of our focus on targeting the line holders, while also helping to safeguard the vulnerable people they exploit. Our message to the drug dealers is clear – we are coming for you.”
The nine-strong Proactive Team that led the operation this morning is one of four that covers six south London boroughs, overseen by a Detective Inspector and with Detective Superintendent Sullivan at the head. This structure is replicated in the North West and North East areas of the Met.
These teams work to combat drug supply in their quadrants and neighbouring counties. They are also involved in the apprehension of suspects wanted for high-profile murders and shootings.
Their remit is to proactively tackle violent crime in London including firearms criminality, high harm offenders and serious and organised crime. The teams use a wide range of overt and covert tactics to do this effectively.
Since April in Lambeth and Southwark alone, officers have shut down nine drug lines and recovered six firearms, with associated class A drugs and cash seizures, whilst in tandem neighbourhood teams are targeting drug and antisocial behaviour hotspots to help local residents.
The Proactive Teams covering south east London boroughs are currently benefitting from extra funding thanks to a government-funded initiative, Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery).
This is a whole-system initiative that combats drug misuse at a local level. It was first piloted in the Met in Hackney and Tower Hamlets in April 2021, where it is ongoing.
Launched in Lambeth/Southwark in April this year, ADDER seeks to tackle drugs misuse through coordinated action combining targeted and tougher policing with an enhanced treatment and recovery service.
Detective Superintendent Sullivan explained: “We have always said that enforcement is only part of the solution – our combined approach seeks to remove the drug suppliers who cause the most harm to our communities, whilst creating a clear space for diversion and treatment for those who need it most.”
Since 2019, working alongside other forces, the Met has arrested over 2,000 line holders, closed down more than 800 lines, made over 1,000 arrests and secured around 3,500 charges for drugs, slavery and weapons offences.
A central Met specialist team funded by the Home Office, Operation Orochi, continues to work hand in glove with other forces to evidence the line-holders, then carry out joint enforcement activity. Taking a collaborative approach, with a no borders ethos, Orochi has a 90 per cent arrest to charge ratio, an 85 per cent early guilty plea rate and a 95 per cent conviction rate.
UPDATE: As a result of further enquiries carried out after today’s dawn raid, a man in his 20s was arrested in York Hill, Lambeth, on suspicion of supplying class A drugs.
A quantity of Class A Drugs and a suspected drug line phone were recovered. The man has been taken into custody at a south London police station where he remains.
Prime Minister joins officers targeting County Lines dealers
