DRUG dealers and criminals involved in gang crime were locked up for a total of 336 years last year by specialist police officers.

Essex Police's Operation Raptor teams arrested 668 people suspected of being involved in drug and gang-related crime and seized drugs including heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis with a street value of £684,530.

During the year Raptor officers also seized £346,820 in cash earnt as a result of crime and drug dealing and seized 149 weapons from the streets of our county.

Essex Police set up Operation Raptor teams in the North, South and West of the county to tackle drug and gang-related crime.

Chief Supt Paul Wells who heads up the operation said: “I’m extremely proud of our teams.

“These results are not only exceptional and testament to their hard work but also demonstrate Essex Police’s commitment to relentlessly pursue those criminals who think they can come to our county to sell drugs or commit gang-related crime.

“These people blight communities, exploit the young and vulnerable and perpetrate violence without a second thought.

“If they think they can do those things in our county, they are wrong – 336 years is a long time for these criminals to think about their actions.

“Our Raptor teams will continue to hunt these individuals down – watching what they do, where they go and who they associate with – and continue to arrest them and put them behind bars.

“We will also continue to work with our partners in education, health and local government to ensure we work together to safeguard those people at risk of exploitation by gangs.”

The North Operation Raptor team, which covers Chelmsford, Colchester, Tendring, Braintree and Uttlesford – locked up drug dealers in their area for a collective total of more than 109 years.

They succeeded in taking an entire gang – the Jay Boys who ran a county line into Clacton supplying heroin and crack cocaine – off the streets for more than 41 years.

During 2017 the team also seized £46,000 worth of Class A and B drugs, seized £25,000 in criminal cash, seized 47 weapons and arrested 106 people suspected of being involved in drug and gang crime.

The South Operation Raptor team – which cover Basildon, Castle Point, Southend and Rochford – also locked up drug dealers for a total of 109 years.

During 2017 they seized drugs with a street value of £220,000, arrested 232 people suspected of drug and gang crime, seized £130,590 in criminal cash and took 40 weapons off the street.

In one raid carried out in Laindon in February last year the team uncovered a haul of the Class A drug Cocaine and Class B drug Amphetamine worth £30,000.

The West Operation Raptor team – which cover Brentwood, Thurrock, Harlow and Epping Forest District – secured a total of 118 years in prison in 2017 for those convicted of being involved in drug and gang crime.

The team also seized Class A and B drugs worth more than £418,000, seized £171,230 of criminal cash, arrested 330 people suspected of drug supply or gang crime and seized 62 weapons.

The Thurrock team seized 802 cannabis plants over the course of the year worth more than £168,000 whilst in Harlow the team secured six closure orders on properties used by criminals as a drug dealing base.

If you have information about drug or gang-related crime in your community, contact Essex Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.