Met officers in Hillingdon have arrested a 29-year-old man and seized thousands of pounds worth of crack cocaine and heroin this morning (20 March).

The man arrested is allegedly part of a crime network which distributes drugs to over 100 people in west London.

He remains in custody for questioning after being caught on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs.

Residents in the North West London borough had expressed concerns about drug dealing in the area, with local people sharing stories about violence and anti-social behaviour which is often related to drug crime.

The Met Police state that the arrest is part of their larger strategy to combat community crime and tackle drug-related offenses.

It uses precision policing and data insights to allocate resources effectively, addressing the most pressing issues within communities.

Detective Chief Inspector Erin Kerr, whose team are leading the investigation, said: "Drugs ruin lives - not only feeding addiction, but the criminality associated with drug dealing is far reaching and leads to anti-social behaviour and violence.

"The role of drug dealers should not be underestimated as their actions have a ripple effect, impacting communities like Hillingdon and across London as a whole.

"We will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of organised crime groups who are intent on profiting from the illegal drugs trade, so we can make the capital safer."

This investigation falls under the Met's Operation Yamata where specialist teams are focused on taking sophisticated drug dealing groups off London's streets.

The Met Police say the group's tactics utilise a precise data-led approach to identify and locate the controllers of these drug networks.

Since April 2022, the team leading Operation Yamata have conducted 370 raids.

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