Five arrested and thousands of pounds in drugs and cash seized in proactive operation

Thousands of pounds in cash and class A drugs were seized in a proactive operation across Wiltshire this weekend targeting and disrupting drugs supply networks.

Four drug warrants were executed in Chippenham, Trowbridge, Devizes and Swindon, where teams of officers relied on intelligence provided by the local community to crack down on drug dealers and help keep Wiltshire a hostile place for drugs.

Five arrests were made, while officers also seized £2,000 in cash and Class A drugs with a street value of approximately £4,000.

A 31-year-old man from Trowbridge and a 29-year-old man from Surrey were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs, both of whom have been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

An 18-year-old woman from Chippenham was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and was released under investigation.

A 19-year-old man and an 18-year-old man, both from Leeds, were also arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and have been bailed while enquiries continue.  

The warrants were part of the third phase of Operation Scorpion, a regional initiative across the five forces in the South West – Wiltshire, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Dorset and Gloucester – alongside their respective offices of Police and Crime Commissioners, the British Transport Police, South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SW ROCU) and the charity Crimestoppers.

The operation targets the South West drugs market, dismantling drug supply networks and arresting those who profit from them, sending a clear message to criminals intent on illegal drug supply there is no place for them in our region.

Wiltshire Police officers were also out on patrols and visiting pubs and clubs in Swindon on Friday and Saturday night, targeting the night time economy and educating the public on the impact of taking drugs.

Det Insp Darren Ambrose said: “This was a successful weekend targeting the drug supply networks across Wiltshire, and the operation means a large quantity of cash and class A drugs has been taken out of the market.

“I’d like to thank our local communities for the vital role they play in providing intelligence and information to us, as without it warrants like these would be much more difficult.

“Drugs have an incredibly harmful effect in communities and ruin lives, both for the users and the people around them, and they have a knock-on effect of associated violence, robbery, and anti-social behaviour.

“As well as disrupting drug supply networks, Operation Scorpion is also about educating the public on the impact using drugs can have on your personal life and what you stand to lose, such as your relationships, job, home, and reputation.

“The operation shows that we will stop at nothing to make Wiltshire and the South West free from drugs.”

Wiltshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “Wiltshire, and the South West, is simply no place for drugs – with co-ordinated drug line disruptions and police activity over the weekend, dealers and recreational drug users should be getting the message loud and clear.

“Taking drugs at the weekend – or on a night out - isn’t harmless fun and that is why the night time economy was a focus for Operation Scorpion this time around, combined with targeted disruptions.”