Five men have been arrested for supplying class A drugs after a number of dawn raids across East Lancashire.

This morning, officers swooped on addresses in the Rishton, Accrington and Huncoat areas.

Five men aged 53, 36, 48, 26 and 39 were arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs and are in custody.

A number of addresses in the Rishton and Accrington area are being searched as part of the investigation which forms part of the National Crime Agency Operation Venetic – the UK’s biggest ever law enforcement operation.

Det Chief Insp Tim Brown, of East Police, said: “These arrests are the latest stage of a long-running investigation into the wholesale importation and supply and manufacture of large quantities of class A drugs and chemicals linked to the manufacture of drugs by an organised criminal group operating in East Lancashire.

“We will continue to take the fight to criminals and to arrest those involved in the supply of drugs in our county.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden said: “This is exactly the sort of proactive policing I want to see here in Lancashire, robustly taking the fight to criminals.

“Disrupting and dismantling drug dealing networks is a crucial part of the work being done around the clock to ensure we are proactively targeting those responsible for blighting communities, who are often contributing to anti-social behaviour and ruining people’s lives.

“I am determined to work with the Chief Constable and partners both locally and nationally to crack down on this and other issues that trouble our local communities so we can ultimately reduce crime.”

Anyone with information about drug activity in their community can contact police on 101 or alternatively contact independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111