FRESH leads led police to raid eight addresses around Swindon yesterday in an effort to disrupt the town’s drug supply.

About 60 officers from policing teams across the county executed warrants at 9am after intelligence from neighbourhood officers and local communities put a number of new dealers on their radar.

Properties were targeted across the breadth of Swindon, including the town centre, Old Town, Walcot, Toothill, Dorcan, Penhill and Highworth, A 46-year-old man from Swindon was arrested at Butterworth Close after officers unearthed a medium sized cannabis factory in the process of cultivation with about 16 plants.

In Victoria Road, about half an ounce of cocaine and heroin was seized, along with £740 in cash considered to be the proceeds of crime.

A 23-year-old from London found in the address was arrested and taken into custody.

At Cleverton Court, a 35-year-old local man was arrested for ancilliary matters after being wanted for thefts in the town.

Further afield, warrants executed in Melksham led to the seizure of weapons, including a baseball bat and an air-powered handgun.

operational commander Sgt Joel Coombes said officers would continue to do all they can to stop drug networks putting down roots in Swindon.

“Dangerous drugs networks are always looking for an opportunity to get back into Swindon and Wiltshire,” he said.

“It doesn’t take long for them to try their luck and attempt to do just that.

“That is why it is important to continue this proactive work, which includes the work that goes on daily to disrupt these networks who seek to exploit the town.

“This is a way of driving home a message to these people who do not understand our approach to drugs – we will catch them and we will stop them affecting our communities.

“A lot of the intelligence used going into this operation was fresh, which includes some people we had not previously had on our radar.

“The idea has been to target both the London-based drugs networks, which is a problem in Swindon, as well as the suppliers who have established themselves locally with networks of their own.

“The addresses targeted today are spread out around the town because that is they way these groups tend to operate.

“Many of them are local people and others are networks who target these addresses.”

Sgt Coombes said all information given to the police will be acted on.

“Our message to these people is they should not see Swindon as a soft target,” he said.

“If they come here they will be found and they will be arrested.

“We will not allow them to affect our communities negatively.

“We want our local communities to feel safe in the knowledge we are doing all we can to prevent the drugs supply in Swindon.”