Haverhill's County Lines drug dealers targeted by a new joint operation between Suffolk Police and the Met

Two suspected Haverhill drug dealers were arrested and are now in custody thanks to a new collaboration between Suffolk Police and the Metropolitan Police Service.

The two forces are working together on an operation to target the controllers of drug County Lines that operate between London and Suffolk.

Since February 2020 Operation Orochi, led by the Metropolitan Police, has been in place in Suffolk and a large number of key investigations are underway as a result.

The aim is to shut drug dealers down at their source.

Op Orochi focusses on analysing the data of mobile phones used to buy and sell crack cocaine and heroin by dealers and controllers.

Officers from the team in Suffolk will share this intelligence with a dedicated team at the Met, who will then investigate to identify the line controller and their location.

On Thursday, May 28 police arrested and charged two men in connection with drug offences in the Haverhill area.

Two warrants were carried out at separate addresses in Ilford and Margate, where two men were arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police on behalf of Suffolk’s Serious Crime and Disruption Team.

Maverick Dwyer, 25, of Alder Walk, Ilford, Essex, was subsequently charged with two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. One relating to the supply of heroin and one to crack cocaine

Christopher Prosser, 32, of no fixed address, was also charged with two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, one relating to the supply of heroin and one to crack cocaine.

He was also charged with assaulting a police officer in Kent.

The offences relate to Class A drug supply within the Haverhill area between July 1, 2019, and May 28, 2020.

Both men were remanded into custody overnight and appeared before Ipswich Magistrates’ Court last Friday.

At the hearing, both were remanded in custody to appear at Ipswich Crown Court on June 26.

Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Bridger said:"Working with the Met in this way will clearly have a significant impact on the supply of Class A drugs into Suffolk.

"Getting the people who control these drugs supply lines, the organised criminals at the centre of these networks, leads to their whole drugs operation being dismantled.

"In turn, we can then look to protect those young people who are often ruthlessly exploited to sell the drugs on our streets as well as well as those at risk from the violence associated with County Lines.

"This operation allows us to build a compelling evidential case before making any arrests.

"We are able to share intelligence in real-time leading to fast-time investigations.

"It means that we’re in a strong position to charge and remand the controller of the drugs line on the day of arrest, before they have an opportunity to pass the drugs line to an associate; effectively shutting it down.

"Our officers will work with the Met to arrest those responsible and bring them to Suffolk custody centres and to be charged before the courts.

"This collaborative approach to tackling serious and violent crime underlines our commitment in making Suffolk a hostile environment for those criminals who seek to supply drugs into our county.”