Fifty rocks of crack cocaine were discovered in a series of drug raids this week, which led to seven people being arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs.

Police officers from Hackney’s Operation Bantam, assisted by the Territorial Support Group (TSG) made the arrests on Tuesday and the early hours of Wednesday morning.

More than �2,500, 50 rocks of crack cocaine and a large quantity of cannabis and drugs paraphernalia were recovered during the series of raids in East Sussex and London boroughs.

The mission was part of Operation Jakelwood which over the last nine months has sought to target an organised criminal network supplying drugs in Hackney and the Home Counties.

It is a covert proactive operation run by Operation Bantam – Hackney’s proactive response to gun and gang crime in the borough.

The team’s key focus was to disrupt those the police know are associated within a criminal gang.

All seven arrested on suspicion of being involved in the supply of class A drugs remain in custody at east London police stations.

Two women aged 59 and 38, and three of the men aged 26, 21 and another unconfirmed - are all from Hackney, while a further two men aged 33 and 44 are from East Sussex.

Acting Superintendent Jackie Sebire, of Hackney borough’s CID, said the operation had been a real Met team effort: “This operation is a further example of how the police coupled with Hackney Council will not tolerate criminal gangs.”

“We will respond with a myriad of tactics to effectively target and disrupt those involved.”