Man arrested on suspicion of drug offences after police warrant
Officers raided a property in Warminster this morning
A man in his 40s has been arrested following a drugs warrant being executed in Warminster this morning (24/6).
He was arrested on suspicion of being concerned int he supply of Class A drugs and on suspicion of possessing Class B drugs, before later being released on bail, pending further investigation.
Officers seized quantities of drugs as well as a number of samurai-stye swords.
It's the latest in Wiltshire Police's efforts to disrupt drug-related activity, which can be connected more widely to organised crime, and Chief Superintendent Doug Downing says they're going to keep targeting those who think they can flout the law.
He said: "If you want to undermine the communities that you live in, if you want to undermine the trust and confidence of our communities, then absolutely we will hold you to account.
"We will use the full range of tactics, the full range of the force and what's available to us to really hold those individuals to account, police proactively and to be present and visible in our community."
"Successful" execution
We joined the officers in Warminster as they executed the warrant.
Members of the press, as well as the multiple teams involved in the warrant - which included dogs, drones and armed response - were briefed at 8am, which contained multiple slides of intelligence about the man and his suspected activities.
Acting Inspector Lyndsey Smith led the activity, and told us the intel was critical to a job well done.
"It's about the neighbourhood policing officers getting out into the community, speaking with people around certain areas where there's potential for drug dealing," she said. "I can't rave enough about Crime Stoppers and the importance of that. That's out there for the public, the community, if they've got any concerns in their area to use that as a safe online reporting. And I just want to say today's warrant shows that it works."
She added that the bust should serve as a message that police are getting the information they need to follow up on reports of crime and reiterated Chief Supt. Downing's pledge that drug-related crime will continue to be among their top priorities.