FOUR men have been charged in connection with the supply of cocaine, heroin and other potentially lethal drugs in East Lancashire.

The men were arrested on Wednesday (November 24) following a series of dawn raids in Rishton, Accrington and Huncoat.

Four of them have now been charged and named.

They are:

  • Simon Day, 54, of Walmsley Street, Great Harwood, is charged with conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine, cannabis and ketamine and conspiracy to make amphetamine and transfer criminal property.
  • Carl Williams, 39, of Wordsworth Road, Accrington, is charged with conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine, cannabis and ketamine and conspiracy to make amphetamine and transfer criminal property.
  • Anthony Bradshaw, 36, of Oakdene Avenue, Accrington, is charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and amphetamine.
  • Anthony Gibson, 48, of Devonshire Street, Accrington, is charged with conspiracy to produce amphetamine and ketamine.

A fifth man, aged 26 from Accrington, has been released under investigation pending further enquiries.

A number of addresses in the Rishton and Accrington area were 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.”