Six Charged After Southampton Drugs Raids

Police have now carried out three early morning raids in as many weeks- they're promising to carry out more.

Police have charged six men with drugs related offences following a series of early morning raids in Southampton and London yesterday morning, Tuesday, December 6:
 
* Paul Hughes, 30, from Kingsclere Avenue, Southampton, 
* Ahmed Salim, 22, from Villas Road, London, 
* Sharmke Mohammed, 27, from Hill Farm Road, Southampton, 
* Joseph Horgan, 28, from Southampton, 
* Justin Barton, 19, from Crockenhill Road, London and 
* Phillip Walker, 42, from Greenlea Crescent, Southampton,

They've all been charged with conspiring to supply Class A drugs.
 
Two men from Southampton aged 35 and 37 years have been bailed until February 28, pending further enquiries.  A 31 year old Southampton woman who was also arrested remains in police custody while detectivescontinue to question her.
 
The arrests are a result of three early morning raids in as many weeks, with the promise of more to come as police continue their crackdown on those believed to be involvedin the supply of illegal drugs in the city.  
 
All the warrants were executed as part of Operation Lundy, an intelligence led operation carried out by members of the Hampshire Major Investigation Team (HMIT), to identify those responsible for bringing drugs into the city and the supply chain responsible for their distribution. This is a newly formed unit that supports local policing areas across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight with specialist teams trained to investigate the most serious and complex crimes.
 
HMIT Acting Detective Sergeant Ben Thomas who has coordinated all three of the raids said: “Yesterday, HMIT officers seized an estimated £15,000 of suspected Class A drugs plus an undisclosed amount ofcash linked to their supply, as well as discovering a cannabis factory.  In addition, we have severely disrupted the drugs supply chain by arresting 18 people involved in the supply of drugs across the city which prompts a warning to others, when we gatherevidence of anyone connected in the supply of illegal drugs, further raids and arrests will follow. You have been warned.” 
 
Detective Chief Inspector Kath Barnes added: “I said last week that we would be relentless in our pursuit to identify and target those who blight our neighbourhoods through their involvement in the supplyof illegal drugs.  I would like to remind those people who choose to lead this lifestyle that we will continue to target homes we believe to be used as hubs to distribute drugs across the city and we will arrest those responsible.
 
“Where we find evidence that offenders are profiting from a lifestyle of crime, we will seize and restrain assets, taking every step to ensure that drugs dealers do not profit from the misery they imposeupon others.
 
“I would like to ask the residents of Southampton to keep us informed about anyone they suspect of being involved in the supply of Class A drugs, and we will in turn keep them informed about our workto make their neighbourhoods safer places to live, work and visit.”
 
Anyone with information about those involved in drug dealing should inform the police to enable appropriate action to be taken.

Information should be given by phoning your local police station on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or byleaving information anonymously on the ‘Rat on a Rat’ website: www.ratonarat.co.uk