Dedicated team take £9,900 worth of Class A drugs off Basingstoke's streets in the last six months

Did you know that Basingstoke and Rural have a dedicated team which investigates offences of drug related harm?

Over the last six months, the team have been working hard within the community to help reduce the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.

You may not always see the team working as they wear both uniform and plain clothes. However, they are out in the community and in the last six months, the team has made 52 arrests, seized five cars, taken 83 drugs phones and over £7,000 of cash related to drug dealing.

The team has taken Class A drugs worth £9,900 off the streets and safeguarded 15 children and 12 adults from County Lines drug dealers.

As well as carrying out search warrants at addresses suspected to be used for drug dealing and taking, they also investigate reports of suspected cannabis factories.

Their drive is to safeguard vulnerable people whose homes may be targeted by drugs gangs. Gang members are known to take over addresses to use for storing drugs and weapons, and to deal to users in a practice known as ‘cuckooing’.

The team works alongside partner agencies, including Basingstoke & Deane Council, to serve closure orders on addresses that are responsible for anti social behaviour and criminality due to drug dealing or taking.

Sergeant Christian Lavin said: “It’s a powerful tactic to have a team like ours which is solely focused on drug related harm.

“I want thank the team, the community, and our partners for the assistance and sheer hard work provided over the last six months.

"In partnership we collate intelligence that helps us take action against those who are causing the most harm across the district and affecting the lives of law abiding citizens.

“We couldn’t do this without the community’s help. We can’t be everywhere all the time so we rely on the community to report suspicious activity.”

Here’s what to look out for:

• Lots of people you don’t recognise coming and going from a property
• The occupant acting in a distracted or anxious manner
• Seeing drugs paraphernalia
• More taxis and cars than usual
• People turning up at all hours of the day and night

To report anything suspicious, call 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress or in an emergency.

You can also report online via our website www.hampshire.police.uk.

If you don’t want to give your name, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.