Deon P. Green, Gleaner Writer
LONDON, England:
OPERATION CRACKDOWN - a three-month campaign by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office in the United Kingdom (U.K.) - has netted over £13.4 million worth of drugs from the streets and seen police close more than 170 crack houses.
The operation has also accounted for 3,400 class A drug suppliers, and the seizure of cash assets totalling more than £3 million.
At the same time, there are reports that a United Kingdom court has ordered all assets of convicted Jamaican drug dealers are to be seized.
The Gleaner has learnt that Leebert Anthony Barrows of St. Elizabeth and Friton Anthony Chambers could face additional jail time if they do not sell their Jamaican homes and other assets and pay over the proceeds to the courts. The two were convicted of attempting to smuggle 72.6 kilograms of cocaine into the U.K.
In a release issued on August 11 by the Home Office (West Midlands), local communities in the Staffordshire and West Mercia police areas are among those reaping the benefits of a major initiative by Government and police to rid the streets of class A drugs.
The results of the campaign gave a breakdown of the success of the seizure and arrest. It includes 123kg of cocaine, 3.4kg of crack cocaine, 119.8kg of heroin and 86,059 Ecstasy tablets taken off the streets. Police arrested 3,419 people for the supply of class A drugs; 1,471 people were charged with class A supply; 483 firearms were seized, 222 firearms and 261 imitation firearms. Police seized 3,402 rounds of ammunition; and £3,242,932 of cash assets was seized.
Home Office Minister, Hazel Blears has been quoted to have said, "Operation Crackdown has been a great success and has delivered real benefits to local communities and has made a massive improvement in the quality of life of local people."
Operation Crackdown was led by 33 police forces in England and Wales, to close drug dens, disrupt local drug markets, seize illegal firearms and bring dealers to justice. The operation ran from January 12 to March 31 this year.
