Wiltshire Police raid homes across Swindon in latest blitz on drug dealing

Seven people have been arrested on suspicion of supplying heroin and crack cocaine. Wiltshire Police said more than £20,000-worth of class A drugs had been seized.

The raids follow a week-long operation last October that saw dozens arrested and dealers’ hide-outs shut down across the town.

Police on Drakes Way

Det Insp Paul Franklin, who leads Wiltshire Police’s dedicated crime team, said the new operation – codenamed Samphire – would sweep up the dealers not picked up last year.

He said he wanted Swindon and Wiltshire to be a “hostile place” for drug dealers.

Police used chainsaws to get into a terraced house on Drakes Way at around 9am this morning as TV crews looked on. Similar raids took place elsewhere across the town.

The following people have been arrested: 

• A 21-year-old man from Swindon on suspicion of being concerned in the offer to supply class A drugs.
• A 34-year-old woman from Swindon on suspicion of being concerned in the offer to supply class A drugs.
• A 23-year-old man from Swindon on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
• A 37-year-old woman from Swindon on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. 
• A 22-year-old man from London on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. 
• A 23-year-old man from Swindon on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. 
• A 20-year-old man from Swindon on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs

A Crown Prosecution Service lawyer would be on hand to advise detectives about charging those arrested this week, Mr Franklin said. Social workers could help where children had been found at the raided homes.

Over the past year, Wiltshire Police has had drug dealing in Swindon firmly in its sights.

Analysis by the National Crime Agency suggested there could be as many as 37 County Lines –up branded phone lines set up by city-based gangs to sell drugs – running heroin and crack cocaine through Swindon.

A massive undercover operation run over five months last summer revealed a fuller picture about the drug gangs working in the town. Mr Franklin said the conclusion was that dealing was prevalent.

Arresting more than 60 dealers who had sold crack or heroin to undercover officers hit the various operations in Swindon hard – pushing the dealing into the shadows.