FOURTEEN people were arrested in dawn swoops today as part of a police operation targeting one of the area's biggest crack cocaine drug gangs.

More than 75 officers raided nine different addresses in the Blackburn area searching for the drug, as well as ordinary cocaine and heroin.

The operation, codenamed Raven, followed three months of observations and evidence gathering by the Drugs Squad and officers from Blackburn Police.

Eleven men and three women were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and dealing and a quantity of drugs were recovered.

The addresses, including houses in Edgeware Road and Wensley Road, were being searched by officers and sniffer dogs today while the suspects were being questioned at Blackburn and Darwen Police stations.

They were all raided simultaneously in a co-ordinated swoop shortly after 7am. Det Insp Neil Smith, of Blackburn Police, said: "This has been a large operation aimed at drug dealers and has been put together over three months. "It is all part of the police's drugs strategy, focusing on major drugs dealers and criminals and trying to prevent them operating."

Crack cocaine, a more potent variety of the drug, has been blamed for widespread violence in America.

It's use has not been widespread in this country but has increased notably during the last two years.

Det Insp Smith added: "Inquiries will continue over the next few days but eleven people have been arrested and the operation appears to have been a success.

"The police aim to get the message across that drugs and drugs dealing will not be tolerated in Blackburn."

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