Five arrests as part of Met crackdown on drug dealing in east London

Five people have been arrested and 200 packages of Class A drugs have been seized after Met officers raided addresses in Waltham Forest, Barking and Dagenham, and Enfield this morning.

The arrests come after detectives worked with local officers to identify a drugs line operating in Chingford. They conducted a protracted covert operation to gather evidence and build a case against the suspects involved.

Officers carried out the co-ordinated dawn raids at two addresses in Waltham Forest, two in Dagenham & Redbridge, and one in Enfield. During a search of the properties, approximately 200 packages of Class A dugs, multiple bags of Class B drugs, more than £12,000 in cash, weapons, and luxury goods were seized.

The four men, aged between 23 and 30, and one women aged 34, were arrested on suspicion of conspiring to supply Class A drugs, namely cocaine. One of the men was also arrested on suspicion of making threats to kill and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. They have been taken into custody.

Detective Inspector Lee Byne, of the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: “Anyone who seeks to profit from drug dealing will be tracked down. We continue to deploy tactics to identify and arrest those responsible for supplying drugs in Chingford and across London.

“We will bring to justice anyone who is committing drug offences in order to reduce the harm caused to those using illegal drugs and to help reduce the serious violence and anti-social behaviour linked to this offending. Often those involved in this type of activity prey on vulnerable people. On this occasion, one of those involved is also suspected of committing violence against women and girls (VAWG). Tackling VAWG continues to be a key Met priority.”