Police target suspected drug dealers in dawn raids

Police have raided a number of properties across Merseyside as part of a crackdown on organised crime.

8 men and two women have been arrested so far in the operation targeting suspected drug dealers.

Raids took place in Everton, Walton, Kirkdale, Fazakerly, Aigburth and Dovecot.

Two kilos of suspected Class A drugs and equipment, an air rifle, crossbow, scrambler bike, quad bike, high-value cars , high-value mountain bikes, and high-value watches were seized by police.

Superintendent Mark Wiggins, said:

"The warrants executed today are the culmination of an 11-month investigation (Operation Bracewell) into an organised crime group who have blighted the lives of residents in the Langsdale estate area, through the supply of Class A controlled drugs. We believe the group has operated under a veil of fear and is linked to violence and the criminal use of firearms - in December last year there were two injury shootings in the area.

"veil of fear"

"Quite often groups such as this exploit the young and vulnerable, who they have coerced into operating their lucrative ‘drugs grafts’.

"This investigation was put in place after members of the public raised concerns about drug dealing in their community. Sadly, sometimes those involved in the supply and distribution of drugs will resort to using firearms to protect their illegal trade, or to resolve petty disputes, as we have seen in recent weeks.

"Some of the recent firearms discharges have taken place in broad daylight on residential streets and the incident clearly show that organised criminals still have ready access to firearms despite extensive work undertaken by Merseyside Police, which has resulted in 20 potentially lethal barrelled firearms being taken off the streets of Merseyside between 1 December 2016 and 13 March this year.

“We have invested significant resources into providing reassurance in those areas that have been affected by the recent incidents and we will continue to invest those resources to keep our communities safe and to determine who is involved in gun crime on Merseyside.

“But we can’t do that without the support of our communities. We need to stand together to get these cowardly individuals off our streets and take firearms and drugs out of circulation. If you have any information in relation to those involve in serious organised crime, involving the supply of drugs or the use of firearms on Merseyside please contact us, we will act on all information.

“I would urge members of the public to come forward with information so we can keep our streets safe and put these offenders, who are causing pain in our communities, behind bars.”

"Our communities should be free to go about their day-to-day business without having to worry about these individuals and I would like to reassure them that we, working together with our partners, will not sit back and watch this happen