Crack and heroin raids in Cowley and Abingdon

10 homes in Oxford, two in Abingdon and 11 in London were targeted by officers simultaneously at about 6.30am in one of the Thames Valley Police’s largest ever drugs operations.

Operation Spires was created in order to crackdown on heroin and crack cocaine supply. In the raid of epic proportions, 22 suspects so far have been arrested, coming from Hurst Street and Cumberland Road in East Oxford, Copse Lane in Northway, Henry Taunt Close in Barton, and Elder Way and Dunnock Way in Greater Leys.

These were some of the properties raided, with warrants granted to search homes in Rymers Lane, Cowley, Beckett Street off Frideswide Square, Medhurst Way in Littlemore and Dene Road in Lye Valley. In Abingdon, houses in Austen Place and Bath Street were raided.

Officers used specialist hydraulic equipment to smash doors open as the various teams entered into the homes to make arrests and gather evidence.

Detective Superintendent Gill Wootton told the Oxford Mail the aim of these early raids was to ‘disrupt’ and ‘dismantle’ drugs gangs ‘terrorising’ communities. It was also said the force is going to make the city a ‘hostile’ environment for drug lords.

The head of specialist operations for TVP added: “I’m really pleased with all the work that has been done by my own serious organised crime unit and also the officers and staff from the local area.

“It’s absolutely around dealing with organised criminality that is targeting vulnerable people in our communities. We don’t have any place for these people.

Senior Detectives said gangs have been working from the capital and sending drug runners to Oxford to supply and exploit those most vulnerable by using their homes as places to deal from.

A new campaign called ‘Stronghold,’ was launched this morning by the local Force to tackle organised crime  in the hopes that the severity of these drug crimes can be reduced in the future.

Chief Inspector Marc Tarbit said: “We will bring the full weight of our resources and expertise to make it extremely difficult for people to commit that kind of criminality in Oxford.”

He added that dawn raids would make a ‘significant impact’ on the supply of heroin and crack cocaine in the city.

The deputy LPA commander for Oxford said more officers would be in patrol this week to reassure the public.

Suspects are currently being questioned by police, and no charges have yet been made.