|
Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
|
|
Public Smoking Ban used to Crack Down on Cannabis Clubs Candice Pires East London Advertiser Saturday 19 Apr 2008 Drug dealers are renting dingy rooms in London's East End and installing pool and snooker tables to pretend they are 'social clubs,' cops revealed this week. But the sole purpose of the 'clubs' are a meeting place to smoke and sell cannabis and Class A drugs. An East London Advertiser reporter who approached one of the dens this week was invited inside what regulars called 'the factory' to "buy some stuff," but declined and walked off. Now police have begun a major crackdown to put the secret dens out of business. They were discovered after inspectors from Tower Hamlets council carried out routine inspections under the public smoking ban legislation which came in last summer. Now they're using the same legislation to 'weed out' the notorious drug dealers of Whitechapel. Police have carried out a series of raids at four clubs in the district in the last fortnight alone, which they believe is just the tip of the iceberg. The biggest raid was in rooms above a minicab office in Commercial-road. Police arrested two men for possession and intent to supply crack cocaine and heroin. The premises have been closed and both men are on police bail. But other 'clubs' which have raided have been allowed to remain open. Pol Sgt Adam Love told the Advertiser: "These are dirty and dangerous venues. "From the outside they just look like social clubs. They're putting a pool table in and calling them a social club. "But they don't sell alcohol and don't play music. They are there for one reason only." Ironically, it is because the operators 'market' the premises as 'social clubs' that they have been sussed. The premises are bound by the anti-smoking law which allows the local authority to inspect them. A Town Hall spokesman said: "We don't get involved with the actual raids, but do inform police where we believe there might be a problem." Several large bags of cannabis were found by officers on Monday in a raid on premises above a Kwik Fit garage in Cavell-street, close to the Royal London Hospital. Three people were arrested for possession and intent to supply class C drugs. In another raid four days earlier, cannabis and white tablets believed to be Class A drugs were discovered at a converted house in Vine Court nearby. The place was believed to be used for smoking heroin. Two men were arrested for possession with intent to supply. Police say another property in Hessel-street, off Commercial-road, is also being used to smoke drugs where they gave seven people 'cannabis' warnings on April 8. http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/
After you have finished reading this article you can click here to go back.
|
This page was created by the Cannabis Campaigners' Guide.
Feel free to link to this page!