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UK: New unit takes on drug middlemen
Rosie Cowan The Guardian
Wednesday 10 Nov 2004 Police and Customs have joined forces in a new unit to target drug market middlemen in London. The 70-strong team is carrying out coordinated intelligence-led operations to tackle the people who buy cocaine, heroin and other illegal substances from major traffickers and sell them on to street dealers. The squad, based at Customs House and led by Detective Superintendent Steve Dann, is made up of Scotland Yard officers, Customs, National Criminal Intelligence Squad and City of London police. They are using the information to disrupt supply and dismantle drug gangs, whose turf wars involve them in violent crime, such as shootings and kidnappings. Assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, head of the Metropolitan police's specialist crime directorate, said drugs were also responsible for a great deal of lower level crime. Just under 60% of those charged with such offences as shoplifting and burglary in 17 London boroughs tested positive for class A drugs. "There is overwhelming evidence that the majority of volume crime in London is committed by offenders who use drugs and need to fund their habit," he said. "The disruption of organised criminal networks and those involved in drug trafficking will improve the quality of life for those living, working and visiting the capital." The unit also includes financial investigators who work closely with the Assets Recovery Agency to seize criminals' cash and belongings. Paul Evans, Customs and Excise chief investigation officer, said: "This multi-agency approach will hit criminals hard. We are also focusing on taking the cash out of crime, the money that feeds drug trafficking and plagues communities." Mr Evans said law enforcement officers were working with forensic scientists to trace the origins of batches of drugs and identify the DNA of people who had handled them. In the past two months, the team, running at a third of its strength, has arrested 25 people, and seized drugs with a total street value of UKP9.4m -96.5kg (213lb) of cocaine, 4kg of heroin, 1kg of crack cocaine and 50kg of cannabis, the equivalent in total of 200,000 street deals, and UKP35,000 in cash. In the past year law enforcement officers in London have arrested 78 people on suspicion of drug offences, and seized 50kg of heroin, half a tonne of cocaine, 3.5 tonnes of cannabis, 10m ecstasy tablets and nine guns.
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