Police made 18 arrests as officers targeted suspected criminals crossing county borders.

The joint operation between Kent and Essex Police took place yesterday with officers from both forces patrolling the Dartford Crossing with the aim of disrupting those involved in drug and violent crime.

Of the 18 people arrested after vehicles were stopped, 13 were for offences being investigated by Kent Police.

Among those arrested were two men aged 23 and 37 from Northfleet and Gravesend who were detained after officers stopped a car and found a kilo of cannabis inside.

Following their arrest a house was searched in Gravesend where officers found a large supply of steroids, cocaine, plastic deal bags and a set of weighing scales.

Cash totalling more than £10,000 was found along with high-value personal possessions including electronic equipment and clothes.

At the property two more people, a 41-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, were detained on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs.

Others arrested at the crossing in separate incidents included a 23-year-old man from Essex, who was arrested on suspicion of firearms offences in Kent, a 38-year-old man from Dartford who was arrested on suspicion of harassment, and three men aged 19, 20 and 21 from Gravesend were arrested on suspicion of being concerned with the supply of class B drugs after cannabis was found in the car.

The 19-year-old was also arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, and a further three men aged 21, 20, and 23 from Romney Marsh, Dartford and Northfleet, were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs after cocaine was found in a vehicle.

The 23-year-old was also arrested for possession of an offensive weapon after a knuckle duster was discovered and seized by police.

A man aged 32 from Rochester was detained for driving whilst under the influence of drugs and was given a Traffic Offence Report after his car was found to have a defective tyre.

In Kent, the operation was led by the Tactical Operations Unit supported by officers from within the Rural Task Force, Road Safety Team, Proactive Tasking Team and the Local Policing Team.

Superintendent Mick Gardner of Kent Police said: "This collaboration between Kent and Essex, including support from the Metropolitan Police, is a terrific example of how we share intelligence in order to stop criminal activity and keep our counties safe.

"Like many other parts of the force, our teams benefit from a close relationship with our counterparts in Essex and this work is a fundamental part of policing.

"We are pleased this operation led to the arrest of a number of individuals and a significant seizure of drugs. We take a zero-tolerance approach to drug-related crime and work continuously with neighbouring forces to target known offenders and bring them to justice."

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