Smoke On The Water

Police seized cocaine, cannabis and £1400 cash during a drugs raid on a Thames barge and two motor cruisers.

The Marine Policing Unit executed a search warrant (pictured) on December 5 in Teddington, West London and arrested a man in his late thirties on suspicion of possession, with intent to supply, drugs.

The officers found the male in possession of cocaine, herbal cannabis, drugs paraphernalia consistent with supply and over £1400 in cash.

Searches of the vessels revealed drugs hidden on two out of the three boats. 



The man has been bailed to return to a South West London police station on a date in early February 2012.

Sergeant Stuart Jenkins said:
”Officers within the MPU are specially trained to be able to carry out entries and searches of houseboats of this kind.

“Working in partnership with land based officers we caught a man suspected of dealing drugs from canal boat in around the Teddington and Kingston riverside area.



“The waterways are no soft spot for criminals and today’s arrest underlines our commitment to tackle suspected drug dealers wherever they are.”


Sergeant Phil Ure, from Petersham & Ham Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said:
”We work closely with our local community responding to their concerns. 



“The issue of drug dealing has been brought to our attention and this operation led by the MPU is in response to those concerns.



“Just because a premises is on the water doesn't mean we do not have the ways and means to deal with crimes which are believed to have been committed.



“The SN teams are able to call on the full range of resources within the MPS to assist in tackling the issues that are of concern to our local community.”