Thirty-six arrested in crack raids
Police officers in Bristol have carried out one of the largest single operations against dealers of crack cocaine this morning.
Officers from Avon and Somerset Police have arrested 36 people in possession of crack, heroine and firearms. Over the past week around 200 officers have been involved in Operation Mansion which has targeted 40 of the main crack dealers in the city.
Of the 36 people arrested, 29 have been charged with drug and firearms offences. Seven firearms, including a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition were discovered in the raids on the predominately Jamaican crack dealers. Twenty-seven of those arrested were Jamaican nationals.
The majority of people arrested have been remanded in custody and ten people have already pleaded guilty to their charges.
Seven people who were arrested in the raids were handed straight to immigration officials and will not face charges in the UK.
The raids are the culmination of an eight-month covert evidence gathering operation, which aims to disrupt the trade in the drugs and to improve the area. The operation has been combined with highly visible uniformed patrols to reassure the public that the police were acting on the drug and crime problems in the city.
