Four arrested as officers target criminality in East Durham

Four people were arrested after a targeted operation recovered more than £5,000 in cash, drugs and a machete from East Durham addresses yesterday.

Three warrants at properties in Peterlee and Horden and a vehicle stop were carried out under a specific operation aiming to clamp down on illegal drugs and criminality in the area.

A machete was recovered during the raid at an address in Smillie Road, Horden, along with nearly 200 suspected illegal tablets, more than £5,000 in cash, a police-style baton, several mobile phones and jewellery.

There were also concerns there may be a gun at the address but this was later confirmed as a realistic-looking BB gun which was also seized.

A man in his 40s was arrested at the address and taken into custody.

At a property in Wilkinson Road, Horden, five large carrier bags of cannabis were seized along with weighing scales and a mobile phone.

A woman in her 60s was subsequently arrested at the scene for possession with intent to supply and taken into custody.

The third warrant was executed at an address in Oak Road, Peterlee, where a man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs with intent to supply.

And officers from the force’s Roads and Armed Policing Unit stopped a car where the driver failed a drug’s wipe and was arrested for possessing drugs with intent to supply.

Cannabis was found in the car along with around £350 in cash and whilst being searched in custody, drugs were also found concealed in the buttocks of the 21-year-old driver.

Further lines of enquiry are now ongoing.

Detective Inspector Darren Wild, of Peterlee CID, said: “As officers, we see the devastating impact illegal drugs, and the criminal activity associated with them, have on our communities which is why we will always do everything in our power to act on information we receive and disrupt the supply.

“This operation involved several different departments who have been working tirelessly to gather evidence which we will be presenting to the Crown Prosecution Service so we can take drug dealers off our streets and make our communities safer.”

Detective Inspector Sarah Hindmarsh added: “We do a lot of work behind the scenes to identify those individuals involved in drugs and weapons and helping clean up our communities and we will continue to pursue offenders and safeguard those being exploited.

“I would urge anyone with information which may help stop such activity in your area to report it via 101 or stay anonymous by using Crimestoppers.”

If you have any information, call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.