Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

A major county lines police operation has resulted in 51 arrests and 35 individuals charged with more than 100 offences, striking a significant blow to organised drug crime

The crackdown, led by Cambridgeshire Constabulary, targeted drug supply networks across the county exploiting vulnerable people who traffic and distribute illegal substances.

Over the course of Operation Hypernova, which took place last month (March), officers carried out more than 30 dawn raids across Cambridge, Peterborough, Ramsey, Cambourne, Ely, Longstanton and St Ives, as well as out of county in London, Grimsby, Leicester, Newmarket, Spalding and Lincoln.

It followed weeks of intelligence gathering into those bringing class A drugs into Cambridgeshire and resulted in shutting down 50 active drug lines and seizing an estimated £55k of illegal drugs including cocaine, cannabis, crack cocaine and heroin.

View video footage of the operation on our YouTube channel.

In addition, police recovered a significant number of criminal assets including £57k in cash, more than £8k in crypto currency and high-end designer watches and luxury trainers.

More than 10 weapons were seized including knives, machetes, batons, knuckle dusters and swords, reducing the threat of violence in communities.

The operation also saw 28 individuals identified and protected from further exploitation, many of whom were vulnerable young people and adults being used by criminal gangs to transport and sell drugs.

Now in its third year, Operation Hypernova, is the culmination of months of intelligence and partnership working in a bid to make the county hostile towards county lines drug dealers, prevent further exploitation of young and vulnerable people and reduce serious street-based violence.