Surveillance on dealers went on for months

Detective Inspectors Martin Locking and Helen Tate identified the markets area as a "hot spot" for street robberies, burglaries, car crime and shoplifting and established that the area was being "plagued" by dealers.

"Because of drug dealing becoming prevalent in certain areas, so too has associated crime which is affecting the quality of life for people who run businesses here and who shop and work in the area," DI Locking said.

"We carried out a lot of observation work and quickly established how prevalent drug dealing had become."

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He said it emerged that the dealers in the markets area both work alone and as part of a team with a number of others shielding them while they carry the drugs and sell.

"Dealers, in the main, don't take drugs, instead they make a lot of money and unscrup-ulous in terms of who they sell to," added DI Locking.

"They feed off vulnerable people addicted to drugs and perpetuate that habit for their own selfish ends.

"They don't contribute anything to society, they just feed off addiction and perpetuate the cycle of misery that drugs bring.

"There are drugs operations underway all the time, looking at people at all levels, but this week's has been aimed specifically at street dealers.

"Drug dealing is not only intimidating for people and affects business but it can bring an area down. We area determined not to let this happen in Sheffield.

"If allowed, drug dealers will get a foothold in a specific place and cause the whole area and infrastructure to degenerate."

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