A DAWN drugs raid by chainsaw-wielding police led to detectives seizing 'horrific' weapons including a massive machete and pool balls in a sock and wads of 'criminal cash'.
The early morning raid in Saddlers Walk in Worcester led to the arrest of a man and a woman on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
We have already reported on another, unrelated drugs raid in Canterbury Road in Ronkswood, also using chainsaws to gain entry, as part of a series of strikes as part of Operation Forefront.
We can now reveal what happened during an earlier warrant at the Saddlers Walk address on the same day (Tuesday), executed at 6.15am using a chainsaw and enforcer (a metal battering ram) to get inside.
A 27-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of drugs.
The woman has since been bailed while investigations continue, including a forensic analysis of suspected drugs. However, the man was on licence and has been recalled to prison.
We can now reveal that officers also found £2,995 in cash which they believe may have a criminal source. The sock and pool balls were found inside a car which officers forced open as part of the investigation.
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DI Dave Knight of Proactive CID said: "The weapons found on this warrant help to illustrate the dangers of being involved in the alleged supply of banned substances. There's also a financial impact on the economy as the money being generated is not being taxed and is fed into the black market economy.
"The machete and snooker balls in a sock are pretty horrific weapons and go some way to show the risks suspected dealers take when plying their trade. As always, the public are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to us and we will take action, particularly against suspected drug dealers."
The warrant at Saddlers Walk was carried out by a combination of proactive CID officers and Task Force who were equipped with protective equipment, chainsaws and other tools for dynamic entry.
We reported on a warrant the same day in Canterbury Road in the city where officers hacked and bashed their way through one heavy-duty door. At the same time at the same property, they also hammered their way through a second door in search of drugs after securing a search warrant from the courts.
However, no drugs were found. Two motorbikes were seized as police ascertain whether they are linked to antisocial behaviour near Nunnery Wood High School.
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