Project to reduce drug-related crime gather at East London event

A scheme aimed at reducing drug-related deaths and offending convened police and partners at a professional networking event to showcase the results achieved so far and plan for the future.

Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery) is a government programme set up in 2021 to address the issues of drug addiction and stop the supply of illicit drugs in the hardest-hit local authority areas across England and Wales.

The North East ADDER expo, which was hosted on Wednesday, 19March at West Ham United Football Club’s London Stadium, highlighted the work being done by all the organisations involved. Since 2024, Project ADDER has expanded across London where there is a dedicated ADDER team serving every borough.

The project also aims to also reduce the prevalence of drug use as well as disrupt high-harm criminals and networks involved in middle market drug/firearms supply and importation.

Since February 2024, the North East Project ADDER team have achieved the following:

• Drug dogs deployments – 12 operations at transport hubs across Newham and Waltham Forest, where 37 arrests were made for offences including possession of offensive weapons, theft and possession of Class A drugs.
• 22 Community Protection Warnings and 12 Community Protection Notice (CPN) issued with drugs awareness session included.
• More than 50 operations, supported by Project ADDER, to tackle drug use and supply. This has included the dismantling of a number of county drug lines, drugs and weapons have been seized and anumber of vulnerable persons including several children safeguarded as a result.
• A total of 579 searches for drugs have taken place and signposting to support services offered.

This event included speeches from Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward, physician and academic Professor Dame Carol Black, who was previously appointed by the Government to lead a review examining the harm that drugs cause while also looking at prevention, treatment and recovery strategy.

The event was also important for the Met to listen to the lived experiences of drug support workers and former service users with thought provoking dialogue on what all agencies and communities need to do in the area.

A key way in which Project ADDER has disrupted the drugs trade is by educating the public, specifically young people within our communities about the dangers of drug use and addiction.

The Met has hosted more than 100 drug awareness sessions across faith venues and schools as well as police stations, reaching thousands of students, members of the community, and police officers.

Chief Inspector Farhan Asghar, who polices the local area, said: “Project ADDER teams are dedicated to tackling substance misuse and linked offending.

“There is no one-size fits all approach in solving this issue. Whether it be law enforcement operations in drug hotspots, community/school drug awareness inputs or collaborative initiatives with partners like Change Grow Live (CGL), we will continue to adapt and develop ways in which we support those experiencing substance misuse, improving referrals into drug treatment while also targeting drug offenders to make our streets safer.”

The Project ADDER team will continue their work in the future and plays a key part in the New Met for London plan of delivering more trust, less crime and higher standards of policing.