THREE days of raids have smashed a number of gangs flooding Blackburn’s streets with drugs, police said.

Officers made 16 arrests seizing £8,000 in cash and £3,000 of drugs including cannabis, amphetamine, mephedrone, valium, heroin, cocaine and other Class A drugs.

Co-ordinated raids, culminating yesterday, focused in on the Audley, Whalley Range, Revidge, Whitebirk, Accrington Road and Shear Brow areas. There were also warrants in Accrington.

The high profile raids saw officers swarming on dozens of streets across the town on the back of extensive intelligence gathering.

Police said organised crime gangs were ‘quite parochial’ and tended to deal in the areas they lived in.

They said the raids targeted ‘middle men’ responsible for supplying drugs to street dealers.

DI Neil Ashton said: “We have been predominantly looking at cannabis cultivation because it is on the increase.

“These gangs are a lot more knowledgeable about producing cannabis. They are using empty units and industrial areas.

“It is equally as important as getting the ‘Mr Bigs’ because it is a disruption tactic.

"These people are living amongst the community and causing distress to neighbourhoods, making money and people think it is unfair.

“From here, our investigations will bring us a bigger picture of the main men higher up the food chain.”

The Lancashire Telegraph accompanied the police on several raids.

At one terraced property in Brecon Road, a sniffer dog discovered bags of amphetamine stashed within the window frames.

The occupant was arrested on suspicion of possession of amphetamine with intent to supply.

Another suspected dealer in Accrington Road was caught in the process of bagging up amphetamine.

A 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of amphetamine possession with intent to supply.

DI Ashton said: “These people are part of an organisation with a heirachy. Someone is dealing to them and they are passing it on to street level dealers.

"They are in the middle echelons distributing reasonable quantities on to the street.

“They are always trying to stay one step ahead with more sophisticated hiding places such as voids in the windowsills as we have seen at one house, or using other people to keep it for them.

“This is the first time we have come across drugs hidden in that way.

“We are constantly trying to take out these people and reassure the community that we act on their intelligence.”

Officers had gathered a number of tip-offs through neighbourhood teams ahead of the raids.

DI Ashton said: “Operation Iceberg is a three day series of pre-planned warrants, arrests and interventions targeting organised crime gangs.

DI Ashton said the extra resources had been brought in to carry out the raids.

On Wednesday, officers walked in through the unlocked door of a £250,000 three-storey town house in the quite suburb of Wilton Close, off Preston New Road, and found a cannabis farm in the loft.

Neighbours had reported suspicious smells in the exclusive cul-de-sac.

A 42-year-old man was given a caution for cannabis production.

On Tuesday, five men were arrested in raids at Nottingham Street, Oriole Close and Bombay Street.

A 23-year-old from Blackburn was held on suspicion of possession of cocaine and heroin with intent to supply.

A 25-year-old Blackburn man was arrested on suspicion of driving whilst disqualified after he allegedly drove off from police and drugs were found in the car.

A 25-year-old from Blackburn was cautioned for mephedrone possession.

On Wednesday there were raids in Tremellen Street, Accrington and Wilton Close, Blackburn with one 21-year-old arrested on suspicion of valium possession with intent to supply.

A car was stopped in Blackburn and two men aged 31 and 40 questioned over theft.

On Thursday raids were carried out in Whitewell Place, Shear Brow, Brecon Road, Accrington Road, and Revidge Road.

A 25-year-old was arrested on suspicion of possession of class A drugs, a 26-year-old arrested on suspicion of money laundering, and a 28-year-old arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply.

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