Seven Arrested After Rochdale Police Drug's Raid

YESTERDAY, ROCHDALE ONLINE reported that seven people had been arrested after police executed warrants in Rochdale. Three warrants were executed on Taylor Street, Middleton, Blanche Street, Rochdale, and White Lees Road, Littleborough.

Four men - aged 22, 26, 35 and 42 - were arrested on suspicion of section 45 of the Serious Crime Act.

The men aged 22 and 42 were also held on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and the 26-year-old man was additionally arrested on suspicion of conspiring to supply class A drugs.

A 23-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of possession of class A and class B drugs and section 45 of the Serious Crime Act.

All are now in police custody for questioning.

These new arrests follow other Rochdale arrests on the 28th, August in which three people were arrested after police executed warrants on Sykes Street and Hardwicke Street in Rochdale, as part of an investigation in to the supply of drugs in the Deeplish and Newbold areas. On that occasion Inspector Andrew Fern, of GMP's Rochdale district, said: "Enquiries are ongoing but the initial indication is that, this morning, officers seized class A drugs with an estimated street value of £900,000. Drugs blight communities so this is a really positive result."

It is worth noting that Newbold is recognised as a notorious 'hotspot' in a problematic district, and that the police have set up Operation Beehive to try to help the local communities there.

Inspector Andrew Fern said: "Investigations of this nature rely partly on intelligence from members of the public living in our communities so I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to anyone who thinks they may know something which may help us rid the streets of drugs to get in touch."

Earlier this year Northern Voices together with others had a meeting at Rochdale police station about the difficulties with regard to the Newbold district in which we raised our concerns about drugs and gangsterism.

*************************************************