Police update after four arrested in Fareham and Gosport after crack cocaine and other drugs seized

Officers carried out several operations across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in March to battle the narcotics trade. A total of 15 county lines drug networks were shut down, with 64 arrests made and just over £30,000 of drugs taken off the streets.

Gosport and Fareham units made several arrests, with many of them being placed on police bail while investigations took place. One of them, a 21-year-old male, was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs. He was stopped and searched in Forton Road, Gosport.

A bag of suspected cannabis and three mobile phones were seized, with the man being placed on bail until June 6. A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesman said this has now been extended until September 6.

Four wraps of heroin and one wrap of cocaine were confiscated from a man in the Mill Road area of Fareham. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs, and bailed with conditions until June 4. The police spokesman said this has been extended until August 2.

A haul of suspected narcotics - 12g of cocaine, 6g of crack cocaine, £2,160 in cash and a mobile phone - were found in a vehicle that was stopped and searched on the A27 in Fareham. A 34-year-old male was detained on possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply. The police spokesman said he has been released with no further action required.

Another man, 39, was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class C drugs with intent to supply. A number of pills and a mobile phone were confiscated after the male was searched in Nyria Way. The spokesman said he has since been released from bail but remains under investigation while enquiries continue.

Fareham and Gosport District Commander, Chief Inspector Chris Spellerberg, previously said: “Many communities are blighted by county lines and the boroughs of both Fareham and Gosport are not immune. Drugs supply is a scourge on our communities and the effect it has on people is wide reaching. Some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, adults and children, are exploited by gangs and pulled into a lifestyle that involves serious violence and the use of weapons. Let’s be clear, drug dealing destroys lives and we are committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs, and the exploitation and violence that is frequently associated with it.”