Operation Alaska comes hot on the heels of Operation Haka two weeks ago, which saw 18 people charged with various drugs offences following a series of 25 dawn raids around Hoxton, 10 of whom will be sentenced within the next month.
The second phase of a 19-month operation aimed at tackling class A drug dealing in Hoxton has seen 21 people arrested today.
Today police officers uncovered a small cannabis factory and seized £35,000 worth of controlled drugs throughout the operation, as well as arresting 21 people for drug-related offences, including possession with intent to supply class A drugs.
Matthew Horne Borough Commander for Hackney Police, said: ““For the second time in two weeks Hackney Police alongside colleagues across the Met and Hackney Council have made a significant amount of arrests aimed at those who choose to blight our communities with drugs dealing, street crime and gang related violence. “For those who want to leave gangs there are options; for those that don’t there are operations like today’s.”
Det Ch Insp Jackie Sebire, the officer leading the investigation, said the long term operation had targeted some of the most dangerous and disruptive criminals in the borough.
The two operations are part of the bigger Operation Krakatoa, an initiative to tackle serious and organised crime in the borough, which has been jointly run and funded by the police and Hackney Council.
The 19-month investigation led by Hackney Police’s proactive crime unit, has been run in collaboration with the council’s CCTV unit, the Crown Prosecution Service, Hackney’s Safer Neighbourhoods policing team, the Metropolitan Police’s territorial support group and dog unit and the Met Police’s Special Crime and Operations Command.
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