More than £95,000 worth of drugs were seized and 23 were people arrested during a week-long series of targeted raids in Wiltshire.

Large quantities of heroin, crack and cocaine, along with a Samurai sword were recovered in the latest phase of Operation Scorpion – an initiative involving the South West’s five police forces.

In Wiltshire, there were:

During the seven days of operations from 30 September to Friday 4 October, police teams targeted gangs and addresses of suspected drugs dealers and suppliers; increased the number of patrols of known hot-spots and used ANPR technology to disrupt County Lines activities through vehicle checks and stops. 

Wiltshire Police Detective Chief Inspector Megan Elkins said:  “Operation Scorpion is a great opportunity for us to work together with partners, colleagues and other police forces from across the South West to target County Lines and to ensure the region is no place for drugs.

“Through excellent proactive work, featuring a number of specialist teams across the Force, we were able to execute a series of warrants as well as carry out several roads policing operations; this resulted in several arrests, along with thousands of pounds worth of drugs being seized.

"Our prevention work during operations like this is very important too.  Last week staff and officers visited schools and colleges to highlight the serious dangers of drug driving.   Drug driving can be linked to the bigger picture of organised criminal gangs dealing drugs through County Lines.  The **Fatal Five message around road and driver safety was communicated through our officers talking to students as well as through our social media channels.  

"These arrests and seizure results mean that a significant amount of drugs have been removed from our streets, as well as the disrupting of the organised criminal networks which prey on the vulnerable and bring so much misery to our communities.

“Our work continues but we also need the public's help.  Please continue to report whenever you suspect drug dealing, so we can build up our intelligence picture allowing us to investigate where the issues are."    

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said:  "Operation Scorpion demonstrates a collaborative, border-less approach to policing to reduce the serious harm and violence caused by drugs across the whole region, as drug crime isn’t just a problem in urban police areas.

“Drug crime, and the violence that usually accompanies it blights the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.  By continuing to report your concerns to the police they are better placed to tackle the issues head on and take action as demonstrated by Operation Scorpion.

“This iteration focused on denying criminals access to the region via our road networks and therefore disrupting the activity of criminal gangs.  Our stance on this will always be clear – Wiltshire and the South West is no place for drugs.”

South West regional drugs intensification weeks are a collaboration between the five police forces in the South West region – Dorset, Devon & Cornwall, Avon & Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The region’s five Police and Crime Commissioners, the British Transport Police, South West Regional Organised Crime Unit and the independent charity CrimeStoppers are also combining their resources to tackle drug supply in the region and make the South West a hostile environment for those who deal drugs and engage in anti-social drug taking activity.

Anyone with information about illegal drugs activity should report it to their local police service online or using the non-emergency 101 telephone line. Always call 999 in an emergency.

Alternatively you can pass information anonymously to the independent charity CrimeStoppers, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year on 0800 555 111 or you can use their non-traceable online form. They will never ask for a name or contact details and the phone call or online report will never be traced. If the information supplied leads to an arrest and charge, there could be a cash reward of up to £1,000.