Four suspected drug dealers arrested as part of crime crackdown in Whitechapel

Met officers have arrested four suspected drug dealers as part of work to tackle serious and organised crime in Whitechapel.

They were arrested on Wednesday, 19 March as part of an investigation into drug supply around Altab Ali Park. They remain in custody. Officers also recovered Class A drugs.

The arrests were part of Clear, Hold, Build which is designed to reclaim and rebuild neighbourhoods affected by crime by focusing on what matters most to locals.

Detective Superintendent Vicky Tunstall, the Met's neighbourhood policing lead for Tower Hamlets, said:

"Tackling drug supply is a priority for us as we know it's often linked to other offences such as robbery and violent crime. By taking targeted action, we aim to reduce offending and improve the quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors.

"The operation followed months of planning by local officers, who have been listening to people in Whitechapel to understand what matters most to them.

"Across the Met, we are focused on tackling the crimes that matter most to communities to reduce offending and improve neighbourhoods."

Altab Ali Park has a rich history and cultural significance within Tower Hamlets and the aim is to return it to a location which residents, businesses and visitors by reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.

The work with Tower Hamlets Council is helping to clear the area of gangs using a range of tactics, such as police and council enforcement officer patrols, as well as engagement with community members and local businesses.

Also on Wednesday, the Met and the council held a joint event at Altab Ali Park to update the community on the work taking place as part of Clear, Hold, Build.

Targeted action has led to a significant reduction in violent crime and drug offences. Working together we have achieved the following results since last November in Altab Ali Park and the surrounding area:

- Seven drugs lines shut down

- 38 arrests

- Less knife crime and other violent

- Fewer neighbourhood crimes

- Class A drugs and illicit cash removed from the streets

Cllr Abu Talha Choudhury, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said:

"Improving community safety is one of the main concerns expressed to us by many residents, which is why we're investing £8m to make our borough a safer space. Our Anti-Crime Task Force provides a new collaborative community safety model for us to work in partnership with the police to address these issues.

“This work aims not only to tackle organised crime around Altab Ali Park but also to ensure this remains a space residents can enjoy. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the police, council-funded police officers and Tower Hamlets Enforcement officers, we are already beginning to see positive results.”

Share your thoughts and experiences about crime and safety in Altab Ali Park and help shape our work by taking part in a quick anonymous survey. Complete the survey here.

Clear, Hold, Build (CHB) is a three-phase framework developed by the Home Office that uses a problem solving and data-driven approach to improve the local response in tackling Serious and Organised Crime threats in a specific location.

‘Clear’ means targeted activity and crime disruption, working with partners; ‘Hold’ means stabilising the area to stop criminals moving in to fill the void; and ‘Build’ means community-driven action to address the causes of criminality and prevent it from happening again. CHB also tackles vulnerabilities (drivers of crime) within communities and those being exploited.

Improved neighbourhood policing was one of the reasons the Met was removed from special measures. His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services also praised improvements to call handling, child exploitation, and public protection.

Arrest details

Two 19-year-old men, an 18-year-old man, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin. They remain in custody.