Police seize nearly £500,000 worth of drugs in 10 Sheffield raids following shootings

Police in Sheffield have recovered “a number of weapons” and seized almost half a million pounds worth of drugs as part of a crackdown on organised crime following a spate of city shootings earlier this month.
By Steve Jones
Published 21st May 2020, 15:34 BST
Updated 21st May 2020, 15:34 BST
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Officers have raided no fewer than 10 properties in Sharrow, Burngreave and Nether Edge, where four shootings took place between May 7 and 8.

Five men arrested in connection with Sheffield shooting

Other “high-intensity enforcement activity” in these areas since the shootings has included stop searches and vehicle checks, and a spokesperson said “significant police resources” remain on the streets.

DCI Jamie Henderson, the cannabis grow seized and officers patrolling the streets in Sheffield following a spate of shootings.DCI Jamie Henderson, the cannabis grow seized and officers patrolling the streets in Sheffield following a spate of shootings.
DCI Jamie Henderson, the cannabis grow seized and officers patrolling the streets in Sheffield following a spate of shootings.
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Detective chief inspector Jamie Henderson, force lead for armed criminality, said: “This activity aims to disrupt the criminals we believe are behind incidents like those we saw on 8 May.

“Since then, my teams have executed 10 warrants at addresses across Sharrow, Burngreave and Nether Edge. They have seized around £40,000 worth of Class A drugs and over £400,000 worth of cannabis.”

The force’s serious violent crime taskforce was also deployed in these areas following the shootings. They performed 67 stop searches in Sharrow and Nether Edge and recovered three weapons, including a machete in the back of a car, and made 22 arrests. In Burngreave, 39 stop searches were carried out as well as 34 vehicle checks, with six people arrested on suspicion of a variety of offences, police said.

Detective chief inspector Henderson added: “Officers have also made some significant seizures from stopping vehicles; in Burngreave we seized two cars, arresting two men and recovering several thousand pounds worth of cannabis. Meanwhile, in Darnall, two men were arrested following a stop search and we seized a large quantity of Class A drugs. “This type of work does hit profits and it does disrupt serious organised criminality, ultimately making our streets safer. Naturally it also provides intelligence we can use in the future for longer term work.”

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Detective chief inspector Henderson said he hoped the public would be “reassured” by police activity in the area – and repeated his request for witnesses to the shootings to come forward.

He said: “It is only with your help that we can tackle the roots of organised criminality in our city, if we can do this, we remove violence from our streets.”