Drugs paraphernalia found in Brentwood dawn raid
POLICE officers smashed open the door of a flat in Warley after a tip-off that cannabis was being smoked and dealt in the area.
Five officers from Brentwood police station barged into the cramped one-bed apartment in Border Edge House, Firsgrove Road, after obtaining a search warrant from magistrates.
A red Enforcer battering ram was used to force open the double-locked front door of the untidy ground-floor property.
In a bid to avoid disturbing neighbours, officers had earlier attempted to use a key to gain access to the flat without success.
The occupant of the flat, a 30-year-old unemployed man, was in bed when the police forced entry.
After initial but brief resistance, the man co-operated as officers wearing body armour combed his home for drugs.
Wearing rubber gloves, the team searched the man's bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and hallway but found no illegal substances.
However drugs paraphernalia, including a cannabis grinder, a lighter and rolling papers, were discovered.
The raid, christened Operation Brompton, took place at 6.50am on Thursday and followed the receipt of intelligence which suggested that packages, possibly containing drugs, were being exchanged outside the property.
Officers left the flat at 7.20am and the occupant was not charged with any offence.
PC Neil Baldock, the first man to enter the property, told the Gazette: "With the paraphernalia that he has got, there is clear evidence of cannabis having been smoked."
Meanwhile, Sergeant Dan Tan, who led the operation, admitted he was disappointed not to have found any drugs.
He said: "It went as well as an operation could have gone but unfortunately with a negative result.
"We always like to get a positive result, even if it is straight possession, because a lot of time goes into planning these things.
"Sometimes with these operations it can be hit and miss – we could come back tomorrow and get a positive result."
He added: "We will continue to monitor it and if we get any more information, we are duty-bound to act on it."
Inspector Jon Burgess, who authorised the operation, said: "We depend very much on support and information from local people.
"If you tell us what you know about suspected crimes and criminal activity in the area, then we will act on that information.
"No drugs were found this time, but nonetheless this is a warning to anyone involved in supplying drugs in Brentwood.
"If we have good reason to know you are committing these crimes that blight our community, we will come for you."
18 Comments
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by Thewise1
Thursday, February 09 2012, 12:49PM
“Alert, alert, Tescos are selling Rizla's someone contact the officers involved in this brilliantly effective raid...
This is a joke right?”
by CyberDan
Thursday, February 09 2012, 11:54AM
“Do the police have any right to take items that are legal possessions?”
by Dragon83uk
Thursday, February 09 2012, 9:37AM
“This would be like someone breaking into your home and stealing all your wine glasses because they don't like alcohol. Except in this instance, the madness is state sanctioned! Make no mistake, this operation would of cost in the region of thousands and for what? A perfectly legal £5 grinder and a couple of quids worth of items that could of been for using the legal drug tobacco? Yeah, sounds really well justified.”
by Frath
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 7:45PM
“I can not imagine the tirade of abuse I would hurl at the police if they woke me up at 6:50 AM smashing down my door and searching my house for a bit of weed. What a pathetic waste of time! Is this article meant to make us pleased? Is it supposed to make us feel glad that we have a caring police force who protect us from the plague of cannabis users who daily kill babies? If they did that to me I would see to it the pig that did it personally paid for a new door and painted it and crafted it himself. And if I don't like the door he's made, he can keep doing it until I am satisfied. Well, at least this poor man only has to buy a new grinder and not his freedom.”
by Graffoid
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 3:43PM
“So the fun police fail again!
Well done Essex police for creating job opportunities for builders ad you now have to replace the door!
Are they sure this tokers wasn't lending some sachets of condiments to a neighbour?
Just because someone likes a joint doesn't make them any less a human being than someone that drinks a pint!
Stop wasting police time on harmless cannabis users & try to solve some crimes with a victim!”
by stevesimpson
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 2:51PM
“"In a bid to avoid disturbing neighbours, officers had earlier attempted to use a key to gain access to the flat without success." Yeah, I'm sure they really give a toss about disturbing neighbours. Shocking story, to say the least.”
by quadley
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 2:50PM
“I will sleep soundly in my bed now this man had had his grinder removed...”
by davidster
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 2:29PM
“Sounds like the Essex Police force are like the Gestapo...
Prohibition is a joke and it needs to end now; we're in a time of austerity, where the NHS and other vital government organisations are facing budget cuts, and yet vast amounts of tax payer's money is being used to seize substances that responsible adults have chosen to use.
Drug laws are doing more harm than the actual drugs themselves; wonder why there is a stereotype of the paranoid stoner? Because of actions like this where you get raided at dawn over a grinder and some cigarette papers!”
by achesandpains
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 1:47PM
“"PC Neil Baldock, the first man to enter the property, told the Gazette: "With the paraphernalia that he has got, there is clear evidence of cannabis having been smoked." - they could have sent a PCSO to Tescos and found the same evidence. What an utter waste of time and money because of a rumour! This sounds more like someone with a grudge getting some sort of revenge. What is worrying is that a search warrant can be obtained on the basis of an unsubstantiated rumour. just let people grow a few plants if they so wish and a fortune will be saved, and maybe a few more real criminals (the ones who have actual victims) will be caught.”
by roady05
Wednesday, February 08 2012, 1:22PM
“Nice one, Coppers, that time could have been used to pursue a rapist or murderer. Instead you have chosen to allocate your already thinly spread resources the duty of breaking into a man's home early in the morning on the premiss of hearsay and to what avail? A grinder and a pack of blue rizlas.
I'm utterly dumbfounded. Just legalize it for crying out loud.”