WEAPONS, crack cocaine and £1,000 in cash has been seized in a police operation which cracked down on drug dealers profiting from drugs and misery in Somerset.

Officers from the Taunton area conducted a warrant and arrested three people at a property on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of prohibited weapons. 

A further search revealed mobile phones, 85g of suspected crack cocaine and £1,000 in cash which have been seized and the three arrested have been released under investigation. 

Avon and Somerset Police activity happened during a County Lines Intensification Week (March 4-10) and formed part of the force’s ongoing work in partnership with neighbouring forces across the region and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

Local officers from teams including intelligence, drones, dog operations, roads policing and neighbourhood policing employed a range of tactics to target drug crime.  

These included warrants, stop searches, intelligence-led proactive patrols and drug and weapons sweeps of public areas.

Detective Superintendent James Raphael, lead for serious and organised crime, said: “We sent another strong message to those engaged in county lines and organised crime that there is no place for them in Avon and Somerset or in the South West.

“Whether you are running drugs into our area; exporting drugs to other areas of the country; operating in local neighbourhoods, across roads network or via transport hubs; or intend to profiteer from using children, young people, or vulnerable adults in your crimes, we are spelling out that we are looking for you, we will pursue you, and we won’t stop until we arrest you.

“The operation is the culmination of many months of intensive planning by our teams. We are grateful to members of the public who have shared information with us, that has contributed to our knowledge.

“With county lines criminality continuing to bring untold misery, fear, and violence into our communities, we urge the public to play their part by reporting when they know, or suspect drug or other crime is happening.”

Call 101 with information or anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers. Call 999 if a crime is being committed.