Five drug arrests during Operation Dragnet raids in Swindon

About 20 Neighbourhood Policing Team officers, including PCSOs from East and North Swindon, executed eight warrants over three days aimed at disrupting drugs activity in the town.

As a result, about 30 wraps of what police believe to be cocaine were seized, as well as five large wraps, and three wraps of heroin.

A cannabis factory was also uncovered in Blunsdon with 60 plants seized.

Two men, aged 21 and 61 and both from East Swindon, were arrested on suspicion of drug offences and released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Two men, aged 47 and 43, from North Swindon, were arrested on suspicion of drug offences and received cautions.

Harry Livingstone, 22, of Ashbury Avenue, Nythe, has been charged with possession of a class-B drug and is due to appear at Swindon Magistrates' Court on May 6.

In May 2013 Livingstone was seriously injured when he was a back seat passenger in a Renault Clio which crashed on the A419, claiming the lives of two teenage girls. 

East Sector Sergeant Barry Reed, who led Operation Dragnet, said: “Disrupting drugs activity in Swindon is an everyday priority for us and this three-day operation is just the latest policing activity to try and tackle the problem.

“As well as targeting homes where we believe drug use is taking place, Operation Dragnet targets those individuals who are coming into our county to deal class-A drugs.

"These people are targeting vulnerable people in Swindon and bringing harm to our communities with associated crime and violence, as we have seen in recent months.

"These gangs believe Wiltshire is an easy county where they can carry out their crimes without getting caught. However, they are very mistaken.

“Over the past three days, we have targeted addresses where community intelligence has led us to believe there is drug dealing taking place and we have arrested five people on suspicion of drug supply offences.

“These results highlight the dedication of our local police officers and PCSOs to rid our community of drugs. We have seized a substantial amount of drugs, and uncovered a cannabis factory.

"These drugs will not be hitting the streets of Swindon thanks to Operation Dragnet.”

The three-day operation also involved three community engagement activities, including a crime prevention awareness event at Morrisons in Eldene, and two operations at New College involving the passive drugs dog.

Six-year-old collie cross Patch, and his handler PC Steve Duffy searched 14 students in total at the college and two males were found to be in possession of drugs. They will be invited back to Gablecross Police Station and dealt with appropriately.

NPT East Sector PCSO Garath Reynolds, who led the community engagement operation, said: “After speaking to members of our local community and New College, it came to your attention that a very small group of students were bringing drugs into the college.

"Therefore, we have worked together to counteract the issue, before it got out of hand. The latest engagement events, as part of Operation Dragnet, were very successful and we will be planning similar events in the future.

"Both the staff and students commented on how good it was to see Patch in and around the college."

Sgt Reed added: “We would like to reassure members of our community that Wiltshire Police take all reports relating to drug activity extremely seriously and we would like to send out a clear message to those individuals outside of our force area, that they are not welcome in Swindon and their actions will not be tolerated."

“Local intelligence plays a large part in operations like this. I would therefore like to thank the public for their continued assistance in supplying us with information which has led us to this week’s activity and an overall successful operation.

"I would encourage anybody that has any information which they believe could help Wiltshire Police to contact us immediately on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.”