Bridport arrests made in week of action on criminal drug gangs
Operation Scorpion aims to make the south west hostile to criminals
Last updated 10th Oct 2024
Criminal drug activity has been targeted across the South West as part of a week-long regional crackdown.
Operation Scorpion see's Forces from across the region work together in an effort to make the South West hostile to criminals.
Officers from each constabulary use intelligence from local communities to tackle the issue during a week of intense action by Police.
Mark Callaghan, Assistant Chief Constable at Dorset Police, told us that illicit drug activity is 'blighting our communities'.
He said: "Our collective effort, our collective intelligence, means that actually we can really focus on organised crime that's going across our boundaries.
"People don't, you know, suddenly stop at Dorset, they'll work in between those areas."
ACC Callaghan said working across borders brings a number of benefits: "Together there is more manpower, more resource, more intelligence to be able to make sure that the south west is a toxic area for those intent on committing crimes such as drug dealing."
During the intensification week, a trio of warrants and three addresses were executed in Bridport, thanks to local intel.
They resulted in the arrest and charging of one woman for possessing class A drugs at the first address. The second saw a second woman arrested after class B drugs were located at the address.
No drugs were found at the third address but a man wanted in connection to other matters was located there.
Responding to local concerns
ACC Callaghan told us it's not uncommon for national organised crime groups to operate in rural areas, but in areas like Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth, it can be more concentrated.
"But it doesn't mean that we just focus on those areas. It's important to focus on all our communities," he said.
ACC Callaghan added that it's important that the public feel they're concerns are being responded to.
He said: "If you or I saw suspicious activity on our street, something happening and you reported it to the police, you'd expect us to do something about it and that's the general feedback we get from our communities that they they're telling us this is happening because it's criminality, that's all anti social impacting on their lives."
He adds that it's critical we help the Force make the region 'toxic' to criminal behaviour.
"We need our communities help, to be our eyes and ear working with our neighbourhood teams and submitting information to us so we can build that jigsaw piece up, which means then we know where to focus our officers and where to focus in our communities."
Operation Scorpion Results for Dorset
In Dorset there were 21 arrests, four vehicles seized and a number of weapons seized, including a hunting knife and knuckle duster. 15 safeguarding visits to vulnerable people were also carried out.
In Bridport an operation led by local neighbourhood policing officers saw three warrants executed on one day during the intensification week.
At one address a woman was arrested and subsequently charged with possessing a class A drug after a quantity of suspected class A drugs were located at the property.
At another address officers recovered a quantity of suspected class B drugs were located and a woman is assisting officers with their enquiries.
At the third address nothing was located but a man was located who was wanted in connection with an unrelated matter and he was therefore arrested.
In Poole an intelligence-led operation resulted in a vehicle being stopped and searches uncovered a number of wraps of suspected class A drugs.
A man was subsequently charged with possessing class A drugs with intent to supply and has appeared in court.
In Christchurch a man and woman were stopped in a vehicle near to the Blackwater Junction on the A338 near Christchurch.
Following a search, the man was found to be concealing drugs. He was charged with possessing class A drugs with intent to supply and has appeared in court.
The woman was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and has been released under investigation as further enquiries are carried out.