Police smash through doors to take suspected criminals by surprise during early morning raids across Portsmouth, Havant, Waterlooville, Whiteley, Fareham and Swindon

Detectives from Hampshire Constabulary’s Eastern Criminal Investigation Department led a dedicated day of enforcement action tackling criminality across the area. On Tuesday police smashed through doors as they delivered seven warrants across Portsmouth, Waterlooville, Whiteley, Fareham and Swindon in connection with the operation.

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Supported by the district’s neighbourhood policing teams and the force’s joint operations unit, Operation Iron Duke was stood up to bolster efforts in targeting offenders of a range of crimes which cause misery to the district’s residents. ‘We have been listening to the concerns of our communities around crime such as drug supply, burglary, theft and anti-social behaviour, and this operation marks the beginning of intensified work to disrupt and deal with those involved,’ a police spokeswoman said.

Three mobile phones, £300 in cash and drug paraphernalia were located and seized at an address on All Saints Road in Portsmouth. A 19-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man from Portsmouth were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs, as reported.

Following warrants on Fort Fareham Road, Fareham, and Eliot Close, Whiteley, a 35-year-old woman and 48-year-old woman were arrested in connection with an ongoing fraud investigation. A large quantity of paperwork, mobile phones and an iPad were also seized.

These two warrants come following an investigation into suspected fraudulent building work carried out at properties across Waterlooville, Havant and Fareham in which more than 48 elderly victims have parted with more than £500,000 in total.

Throughout the day, cops also arrested a further six people in connection with various domestic incidents across the district. These people were arrested on suspicion of offences including domestic strangulation, malicious communications, assault, rape, possessing and distributing indecent images of children and failing to surrender to police bail for a conditional caution.

Detective chief inspector Ross Toms, who led Operation Iron Duke, said: ‘It’s clear to us that the residents of Havant and Waterlooville have concerns around drug supply, anti-social behaviour and acquisitive crime such as theft in their communities. We know that much of this crime is connected with drug-related activity and the associated violence that comes with it, which has long been a priority for us.

‘We want residents to be assured that we are listening, and our intensified efforts will continue to ensure that Havant and a Waterlooville are hostile places for criminals to operate in. We will relentlessly pursue criminals so that their lives, not those of local people are a misery.

‘We are pleased with the results we’ve seen as a result of Operation Iron Duke but it is important to add that preventative work is done alongside partners continually throughout the year, in addition to our police work.

‘We are fully committed to ensuring that local communities do not suffer as a result of criminality and will do everything we can to target offenders that continue to cause harm, crime and anti-social behaviour within Havant and Waterlooville. Our detectives are invested in making it difficult for criminals to operate here.’

Havant Chief Inspector Habib Rahman said: ‘We hope that today’s activity sends out a clear message to those living in Havant and Waterlooville or coming into our towns with the intent to commit crime and cause harm – it will not be tolerated.

‘We will keep up the pressure on those known locally to us and will not stop disrupting this criminality. We also remain focused on providing the exceptional local policing response that victims of crime and anti-social behaviour expect and deserve.

‘We cannot do the work that we do without the support of local people, which is vital in helping us make our communities safer. We want you to feel confident in reporting crime to us - every piece of information is greatly appreciated and helps us to build a stronger intelligence picture, ultimately enabling us to take positive action and bring offenders to justice.’

Det Con Moe Zolanvar, of the Eastern Criminal Investigation Department, told The News after a raid in Halstead Road on Tuesday: ‘This was a drugs warrant we executed where we searched the property and as part of that a person was arrested on suspicion on being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

‘He wasn’t at the address here today but was at another address where another warrant was executed and was arrested there. We will now interview the man having carried out searches of the property.

‘The drugs involved were cocaine and crack cocaine. We’re going to carry out a search but we don’t know what we are going to find.’

Speaking of preparations for the raid, he added: ‘It takes a lot of planning because resources are something we have to take into consideration. A huge amount of consideration is given to who’s going to be at the address, do they have any vulnerabilities, what’s the impact of us entering as we did. Once all that is done things move pretty swiftly. (The raids) are going quite well.’

Det Con Zolanvar said the offender was linked to a number of local drug lines but these can be fed by county lines. ‘There’s going to be an investigation. At the moment it is just an allegation. We don’t always get it right. Based on our searches and what we find we will put any evidence to him,’ he said.

To report crime, including anti-social behaviour and suspicious activity, ring 101 or online at www.hampshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit their website at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. Always call 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.