Four men have been arrested after specialist police teams raided homes across Medway yesterday.

Police launched an operation to smash and disrupt drug networks of people suspected to be dealing drugs, including crack, heroin and cannabis.

Officers were helping colleagues from the Metropolitan Police during the raids, which were also aimed at disrupting anti-social behaviour and violence.

Teams of specialist officers executed warrants at addresses in Gillingham and later in Chatham.

The raids followed on from a wave of warrants and raids carries out by Metropolitan Police earlier this morning, in London and other parts of Kent.

Addresses in Gillingham targeted included homes in Trafalgar Street, Strover Street, and Britton Street.

Officers believed the people allegedly using the addresses for dealing are London residents who have come to Medway to set up networks in the Towns.

After an early morning briefing at Medway Police Station, teams of officers were sent to the addresses and in Strover Street. They forced the front door of one home and found four men inside.

Initially they arrested just one man, but after an extensive search, officers found a quantity of what is believed to be herbal cannabis and a small amount of what they believed to be crack cocaine.

A short while after entering the house they arrested two more people inside and continued to search all three floors of the property.

One man was found in a back room concealed by a closet-type door, where they found a window leading onto a flat roof where a small amount of suspected class A drugs was under the roof seal.

The three people arrested were kept in the house in police custody until the search was complete and then they were taken back to the police station in Gillingham.

Later officers made their way to two more homes in Chatham, also believed to be connected to the network.

Raids were carried out at homes in Dale Street and Maida Road, and later they moved onto railway stations in the Towns where they were carrying out stop searches to stop any new dealers entering the towns with drugs.

Officers were also out on roads using their ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) facility to stop cars and other potential drug dealers flooding the Towns with more supplies.

Sgt Ryan Law, said: “Seven officers entered the house in Strover Street, we used a police enforcer to enter the property.

“There were four males inside and we have arrested three of them and they are in our custody.

“We have recovered what we believe to be herbal cannabis and Class A drugs.”

Police today said a man from Gillingham, 32, was arrested on suspicion of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply, and has been bailed until October 10.

Two other men, both 28, from Gillingham were cautioned for possession of cannabis and a woman, 54, from Gillingham, was given a penalty charge for possessing cannabis.

And Jason Marks, 28, of Charter Street, Gillingham, was charged with driving while disqualified and has been bailed to appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on September 17.

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