Eight arrests and a 'significant' amount of drugs seized as police tell Blackpool criminals to 'watch your backs'

Eight people have been arrested as part of operation Enigma, launched back in April, which saw officers swoop on three separate addresses yesterday morning.

The operation is a targeted campaign to disrupt drug-dealing activity by an organised crime group in the resort.

It follows similar raids on Wednesday, all linked to the probe into gangs operating in the resort.

One man was arrested leaving a property on Butler Street, in the town centre, yesterday. He was among two arrests in the resort on Thursday, while six people - five men and a woman - were apprehended on Wednesday morning

Officers in Butler Street broke the door of the terraced property down as the man was cuffed in the street.

Police also descended on addresses on Dingle Avenue, Grange Park, and Gisburn Grove, in Layton, as part of today’s operation.

Police seized a significant quantity of what they believe is heroin, a class A drug, during Wednesday’s raids.If tests show it to be real it could have an estimated street value of around £200,000.

Wednesday’s raids took place on Laburnum Street, Caroline Street, Regent Road, Charles Street, St Anthony’s Place and George Street in Blackpool and Shaw Road in South Shore.

Det Insp Steve Harry, of Blackpool Police, said: “This week’s raids are part of a major operation aimed at disrupting the supply and distribution of Class A drugs in the Blackpool area.

“We believe the group involved are responsible for bringing drugs into the resort from the Merseyside area.

“Our enquiries suggest those involved control a number of different drugs lines in Blackpool and are dealing in the town centre area.”

He said he is ‘pleased with the outcome and that the majority of people arrested are the ones they wanted.

Det Insp Harry also said the raids are a warning and told the resort’s criminals to ‘watch your backs.

He said: “This should go as real assurance for the community that we won’t let it lie. We are really focused on targeting organised crime groups across Lancashire.

“We want the community to be involved with that and we want the people who are dealing in frugs to be looking over their shoulders not knowing when we are going to be coming round the corner.”

He added: “Local people are a vital source of intelligence and they need to help us to keep them safe by telling us what they know and turning rumour into hard evidence.

“New technology and legislation can help us protect people to come forward who otherwise would have been too frightened to so it’s important that people know they can trust us when they have something to tell us.”

Who was arrested?

Those arrested yesterday include:

• A 20-year-old man from Poulton arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

• A 35-year-old man from Blackpool arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

• A 22-year-old man from Blackpool arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

• A 20-year-old woman from Blackpool arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

• A 61-year-old man from Blackpool arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

• A 27-year-old man from Blackpool arrested on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug.

All have been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

Those arrested this morning include:

• A 42-year-old man from Blackpool arrested on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug.

• A 27-year-old man from Blackpool arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.

They remain in custody.