Addresses across Merseyside were raided by police in the wake of a series of violent incidents in August.
Officers working on the police's Operation Miller have carried out a number of raids across the region to combat organised crime. Merseyside's leaders penned an open letter last week calling for an end to gun and gang crime in the city region.
The leaders, including Mayor Joanne Anderson and Mayor Steve Rotheram, called for the murders of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Sam Rimmer and Ashley Dale to be a catalyst to prompt the end of organised drug crime. The letter said: Make no mistake, the drug trade is at the heart of what has happened recently and is a root cause of much of the anti-social behaviour and criminality that can blight our communities."
READ MORE: Gun shots fired through window of a house
Merseyside Police today said they had made several arrests in the last week. Three people were arrested on suspicion of drug offences after two warrants were executed on Wednesday, September 14 at addresses on Grafton Street and Stonegate Drive in Dingle.
Officers carried out the operation at around 9.30am with large quantities of suspected cocaine and cannabis seized from the two addresses leading to three suspects being arrested. Two men, aged 55 and 21 years, were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply the Class B drug, cannabis.
A 30-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs, cocaine and cannabis. The three suspects have been released under investigation.
In another operation later that day at an address at Reeds Road, Huyton, police arrested a 41-year-old man on suspicion of abstracting electricity and possession with intent to supply class B drugs. The man was taken into custody for questioning and has since been released under investigation.
There were further arrests earlier in the week in separate incidents in Walton and Kirkby. Officers arrested a 27-year-old man on Tuesday, September 13 on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs and possession of a firearm following a search of a property on Delamore Street, Walton. He has been released under investigation. A car on Deycroft Avenue, Kirkby was stopped and searched on Monday, September 12 after cannabis could be smelt emanating from the vehicle. Following a search of the vehicle two bags of cannabis and a small amount of cash were seized.
Officers carried out a further search of a property on Linslade Crescent where more than 60 blocks of cannabis resin, around £6,000 in cash and drugs paraphernalia were seized. Four men from Kirkby, two 27-year-old men, a 56-year-old man and a 19-year-old man, were arrested on suspicion with possession with intent to supply class B drugs and possession of criminal property offences. The four suspects have been released under investigation.
Chief Inspector Peter Clark said: “This enforcement operation shows that Merseyside Police are proactively targeting serious and organised crime in the region to keep our streets safe. We have removed large quantities of drugs that were destined for our streets, the sale of which fund criminality and prompt violence.
“We are absolutely committed to disrupting any criminal activity which destroys our communities, and we remain dedicated to removing drugs and dangerous weapons from our streets.”
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "To date officers from Merseyside Police have arrested 619 people, carried out 1,708 stop searches and 127 land searches, seized more than 140 vehicles, executed 132 warrants, and recovered 14 firearms in a police operation targeting serious and organised crime in the region."
Anyone with information on organised crime or weapons or drugs stored in your area is asked to DM @MerPolCC or contact @CrimestoppersUK on 0800 555 111. We also have the dedicated Major Incident Public Portal (MIPP) on our website where you can download CCTV, Dashcam and smart doorbell footage. If you have footage you think could be crucial to our investigations go to Public Portal ( mipp.police.uk )
READ NEXT:
Army bomb disposal team called after 'suspicious items' found on train tracks
'Gentle' mum and son found dead in Sefton Park flat are 'both at peace now'
Neighbours 'on edge' after mum's loud nights of sexual activity
DWP Universal Credit will give four groups of claimants cash boost from this week
