Police hunting suspected drug dealers broke down doors yesterday morning as they executed a series of warrants across west Essex.

The operation, at 6.30am on Wednesday, October 7, saw nine people arrested on suspicion of drugs and money laundering offences.

A five-figure sum of cash, cannabis grow equipment and suspected Class B drugs were also seized.

In total, seven warrants were executed simultaneously in Brentwood, Grays, Wickford, and Canvey Island.

Detective inspector Steve Nelson, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, who led the warrants, said: “Drugs cause misery to our communities and we know their sale can also lead to other forms of crime, including burglaries, robberies, and violent crime.

“Where drugs are being sold, often there are also vulnerable people being exploited.

“We will always do everything we can to protect people and keep people safe and the warrants this morning will help do that.”

The investigation followed work from Essex Police’s Op Venetic – a major operation involving the cracking of a bespoke encrypted global communication service used by criminals

EncroChat offered a secure mobile phone instant messaging service with 60,000 users worldwide and around 10,000 in the UK.

The primary use was for co-ordinating and planning criminal activities including the distribution of illicit commodities and money laundering.

Since 2016, international law enforcement agencies worked together to target EncroChat, and other encrypted criminal communications platforms, and earlier this year agencies in France and the Netherlands infiltrated the platform.

The intelligence gleaned through this was then shared via Europol to national law enforcement agencies.

Epping Forest Guardian:

For more breaking news, local headlines and features, ‘like’ our Facebook page.

We also have a Twitter account: @EppingFGuardian

Follow us to keep up-to-date with news in Epping Forest.