Five men have been arrested today after numerous raids targeting organised crime.

Specialist Crime detectives executed the warrants, including one in Dartford, as part of Operation Eternal – one of the Met’s most significant operations in cracking down on serious and organised crime.

In the early hours, officers arrested the men at addresses in Dartford, Bexleyheath, Islington, Barking and Chelmsford, as part of this operation focusing on drugs supply.

During searches of the properties, officers recovered more than £2,000 in cash, a large quantity of cannabis and 14 wraps of Class A drugs, which have been sent for analysis.

The arrests were carried out following an investigation into the wholesale of drugs through a highly-encrypted communication platform.

Those arrested are:

• A 44-year-old man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin.
• A 26-year-old man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine.
• A 35-year-old man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis.
• A 30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply and import cocaine and cannabis.
• A 38-year-old man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine and transfer criminal property.

They are all in police custody while investigations continue.

Operation Eternal is the Met’s long-term investigation into the criminal use of encrypted communications to facilitate serious violence, supply firearms, drugs and associated criminality.

Specialist detectives have investigated those using this encryption to commit some of the most serious crimes across the capital. They have monitored hundreds of handsets and analysed thousands of encrypted messages to build dozens of cases.

DCI Driss Hayoukane, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Team, said: “The Met continues to work to bring those criminals using encrypted devices to commit serious and violent crimes – whilst believing they are untouchable – to justice.

“Operation Eternal has allowed us to reach those most dangerous, high harm offenders individuals right at the heart of organised networks dealing in multiple kilos of drugs, cutting off supply and associated violence right at the source.

"Those involved cause misery to our communities, and we remain dedicated to bringing them before the courts..."

“We know that drug supply and violence on our streets are inextricably linked.

"Those involved cause misery to our communities, and we remain dedicated to bringing them before the courts.

"Activity to tackle organised criminality in London has long been a priority for the Metropolitan Police, and it will continue to be for the coming years.”