12 HELD AFTER DAWN DRUG RAIDS

TWELVE people were arrested in dawn raids in and
around Fordingbridge last Friday, in one of county's
biggest crackdowns on drug dealers.

Officers from Hampshire police hunting suspected drug dealers
stormed ten houses at about 5am and seized an undisclosed quantity
of drugs, cash and weapons.

Of those arrested, seven men and one woman have been charged with
being involved in the supply of the Class A drugs, including cocaine.

Four others taken in for questioning have been released on police bail.

More than 140 police, including specially trained officers using
battering rams and sniffer dogs, were involved in the large-scale
operation, executing search warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act
as part of a year-long investigation codenamed Operation Kilt.

Within seconds, Friday's early morning stillness was shattered by
the sound of front doors being broken down as officers raided the properties.

In one bust, a team of officers wearing body armour, helmets and
carrying riot shields approached a two-bedroom house in Whitsbury Road.

They searched the property where two suspects - a man and a woman -
were found in bed.

Following a brief struggle with the male suspect both were detained
before being led downstairs.

A search was then conducted before the house was secured and both
suspects were led out to waiting police vehicles.

Specialist teams of officers then moved in and, with the help of
sniffer dogs, thoroughly searched the house for drugs and weapons.

The raid was one of a number in the area before 7am, resulting in 12
suspects being questioned in custody throughout the morning at a
number of different police centres across the New Forest.

The mammoth operation was co-ordinated from Lyndhurst police station
and led by detective inspector Dave Brown.

Overseeing the raids was superintendent Barry Talbot, who later
described the crackdown as one of the biggest of its kind staged in
the region.

Supt Talbot said it followed on from a series of operations,
including one three years ago in the New Milton area, which was on a
similar scale. Supt Talbot said: "This was an intelligence led
operation over a significant length of time that culminated today
with a series of arrest warrants.

"Unfortunately class A drugs seem to be prevalent and the New Forest
is no different.

"This is only one of several operations that we have been carrying
out over the past few years."

Supt Talbot said the crackdown would also impact on other crimes.

"There are three main areas that drug dealing has an impact on.

"Obviously the affect on the health of the people of the community,
there is also an increase in crime as people try to feed their
habits and offend to do so.

"There is also a potential increase in violent crime that happens
when users default and violence is used by the dealer."

The first phase of the operation last week has been declared a success.

"In terms of all the goals we set all have been achieved," added Supt Talbot.

He urged the public to help with the continued fight against drug
dealing and associated crime.

"Many residents will have been unaware of what was suspected to have
been going on.

"What this operation demonstrates is that people cannot make
assumptions that places like Fordingbridge which is a very nice area
with low crime rates is immune from this sort of activity.

"This operation is aimed at disrupting the drugs supply network and
drugs-related activity in the New Forest area by removing drugs at
their source.

"Ongoing work will continue by engaging with local communities to
prevent their network from being re-established."

Police spent the rest of Friday talking to shopkeepers and putting
up posters urging locals to "rat on a rat" and help "rid their
neighbourhood of drugs".

If you suspect a crime contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or
Hampshire Police of 0845 045 4545.

Eight to appear in court today

EIGHT people have appeared in court following a police crackdown on
alleged drug dealing in the New Forest.

They all appeared at Southampton Magistrates' Court last week to
face charges in connection with supplying cocaine and will appear in
court again today.

No pleas were entered during the hearings, where the charges of
being involved in the supply of the Class A drugs were read out to
the seven men and one woman.

They were all arrested during a wave of dawn raids in and around
Fordingbridge in Operation Kilt.

It was the culmination of a year-long intelligence operation using
surveillance and undercover officers in a bid to crack a network of
alleged drug dealers.

Appearing in court were [Name redacted], 24, of Windsor Way,
Alderholt, who faced eight charges and [Name redacted], 21, of Reeder
Close, Fordingbridge, who faced two charges.

[Name redacted], 41, of Waverley Road, Fordingbridge, faced five
charges and [Name redacted], 45, of Whitsbury Road, Fordingbridge,
five charges.

[Name redacted], 20, of Falconwood Close, Fordingbridge, faced one
charge; [Name redacted], 18, of Dimond Close, Fordingbridge, faced
three charges and [Name redacted], 26, of Whitsbury Road,
Fordingbridge, faced ten charges.

[Name redacted], 18, of Falconwood Close, Fordingbridge, faced two
charges of supplying a Class C drug and three charges of supplying
Class A drugs.

Presiding magistrate Bill Munt granted [Name redacted] and both [Name
redacted] and [Name redacted] bail on the condition they sleep at
their home addresses and are electronically tagged to make sure they
stay indoors between 7pm and 6am, in line with their curfew.

The other defendants were all remanded in custody.

The eight defendants are due to appear at Southampton Magistrates'
Court today.

Four others who were arrested as part of Operation Kilt have been
released on bail until November 21.