Police swoop on drug barons

Addresses around the town were raided on Thursday, including properties in Wordsworth Avenue, Spetchley Close, Loxley Close, Bridley Moor Road and Marlpool Drive.

A property in Gloucestershire and a house in Barnt Green were also raided during the operation, code-named Gemini, and 12 people were arrested. They have all been released on police bail.

In the swoop, cannabis with a street value of £500,000-£750,000 was seized. Detectives are also investigatiing money laundering of houses, high-value cars and electrical equipment worth £1 million.

Det Supt Steve Pepper, who led the operation, said 150 officers had been involved and it was part of West Mercia's drive to make communities safer and free from drugs.

He said the addresses had been mainly residential properties but also included various business premises.

The detached house in Barnt Green was being used as a cannabis "factory", with a specially installed plumbing and heating system.

"Officers have been working on this for 12 months and today's raids are a culmination of hard work, covert police activity and painstaking investigative work," said DS Pepper.

He said they had identified a prominent drug dealer and his network which operated across North Worcestershire and could have been responsible for a large amount of drugs in Redditch.

He said it was also possible the gang was supplying as far afield as Birmingham and Bristol and their operation may involve other drugs as well.

DS Pepper said a team of financial investigators had identified almost £1 million of assets that the drug dealing had accrued.

"These are people who live an affluent lifestyle and have no paid employment, they own high-value vehicles, properties and a range of high-value expensive electrical items and jewellery," he said.

But he said new laws would give police powers to seize the assets, sending out the message to dealers that they did not only stand to lose their freedom but also the money they had gained.