Leeds police target heroin and crack cocaine dealers with raids at 33 locations

Officers also arrested 13 people as part of the planned operation targeting the organised supply of heroin and crack cocaine in the city.

Teams led by specialist officers from Leeds District Serious Organised Crime Unit and West Yorkshire Police Protective Service Crime carried out warrants at 33 addresses, mainly in Harehills, Chapeltown, Woodhouse and Beeston.

Of those arrested, 11 have now been charged with offences relating to the supply of Class A drugs.

Chief Superintendent Paul Money, Leeds District Commander, said: “This latest operation builds on the success of the previous activity in May. The combined effect of both these phases will have sent a shockwave through the organised criminal groups behind the supply of Class A drugs in the city.

“Those groups have very clear links to the criminal use of firearms in our communities, which has been starkly illustrated over the last year with a number of discharges linked to feuds and drugs turf wars.

“While our efforts have seen a number of key people linked to those incidents taken off the streets we can never be complacent and are conscious of the need to keep the pressure on.

“Incidents where firearms have been used understandably cause real concern among the public, and we hope people can draw some reassurance from the continued work we have been doing under this operation to keep targeting those who think they can involve themselves in gun and drug crime without having to face the consequences."

This week's operation follows months of painstaking work to gather evidence on those suspected of being involved in several ‘ring and bring’ drug dealing phone lines, which are behind the supply of heroin and crack cocaine on the city's streets.

The previous phase of the operation saw 17 people arrested over four days at the end of May.

Of those, 13 were charged with drugs supply offences and the majority have been remanded in custody pending further court hearings.

In this week’s raids officers recovered a large quantity of cocaine and heroin, approximately £10,000 in cash, mobile phones linked to the supply of drugs and a number of weapons, mainly knives.

Chief Supt Money said: "The supply of illegal drugs fuels crime and anti-social behaviour in our communities and damages and destroys the lives of those who take them and we remain firmly committed to doing everything we can alongside our partner agencies to address the issue.

“Information from the community continues to play a vital role in the success of this work and we would urge anyone who knows anything that could assist us to get in touch, anonymously if needed via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”