Police target town's drug dealers

A long-term operation to disrupt London gangsters targeting a Suffolk town has resulted in £270,000 worth of drugs being seized and 371 arrests.

Operation Academy was set up in January 2007 to deal with the increased threat of London-based drug dealers supplying Class A drugs in Ipswich.

Items confiscated include £65,000, a self-loading pistol with ammunition, two BB guns, nine knives and five cars.

Drugs seized include heroin, crack cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy.

Almost half of those arrested were from London while 49% were local.

Det Ch Insp Mark Jepson, of Suffolk Police, said: "The aim of Operation Academy is to disrupt and detect Class A drug offences. We have a proactive drugs team in Ipswich and they work hard to reduce the flow of drugs into and around the town.

"I'm pleased with the results we've achieved so far but am disappointed that dealers still come to Ipswich."

Suffolk Police appealed to anyone with information about drug dealing or gun crime to contact them.