THOUSANDS of pounds of drugs have been seized during what is thought to be the largest anti-drugs operation ever carried out Herefordshire.

Eighteen people were arrested in an operation involving more than 100 and raids on 25 homes.

The operation took place yesterday and the early hours of today in Hereford, Leominster, Ross and Bromyard in an attempt to disrupt the Class A drugs trade in the county.

Officers were acting on intelligence to suggest that drug dealers from the West Midlands are travelling to the county to target local dealers and addicts.

West Mercia Police were supported by West Midlands Police and British Transport Police Eighteen people, including four females, were arrested. Most of those arrested were detained for drugs offences.

One man was arrested for burglary and another man was arrested for a failing to appear on a warrant. One man was arrested for a firearms offence.

Drugs including crack cocaine, cannabis and heroin, with an approximate street value of £5,000, were seized, along with several thousand pounds in cash. A firearm (believed to be de-activated) was also seized by police, along with other offensive weapons.

Nine people have been released on police bail pending further enquiries following the operation and nine have been charged with drugs offences. Those charged are due before Hereford Magistrates Court on Wednesday, June 8.

The ‘strike day’ was the culmination of Operation Wingspan, a three-week operation that has already seen 28 searches take place in the county. Fifteen people were arrested in the earlier phase of the operation and nine of those men have already been charged with drug dealing offences and appeared at court. Five of those charged are remanded in custody. Eight of the nine men have Birmingham addresses, one is local to Herefordshire.

Detective Inspector Martyn Barnes of Herefordshire CID led the operation. He said: “Herefordshire does not have a particular problem with drug dealing, but like many other areas close to the West Midlands, we have a long-standing issue of organised crime groups sending drug runners to deal in our area.”