‘Sub-Machine Gun’ and Drugs Seized, Arrests Made During 200-Officer Raids Across London

More than 200 London police have conducted night raids targeting a notorious gang linked to killings, resulting in the seizure of a “sub-machine gun” and the detention of a 14-year-old boy.

The Metropolitan force arrested nine and seized a Škorpion pistol, ammunition, and suspected class A drugs, in the operation against the heroin and crack cocaine-dealing ‘MDP’ gang in West London.

Six males and three females remain in custody at a west London police station Thursday morning, including the boy, 14, accused of drug running, after the raids in Northolt, Greenford, Fulham, and Brentford, police said.

Commissioner Cressida Dick, who accompanied officers on the raid in Blenheim Close, said: “Tonight, after some really good, strong work over the last few months, we were in a position to go out and execute warrants in relation to a number of people.

“They are very violent – several of them have a history of violence. One at least is suspected of regularly using firearms and they are being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

“Not only have they been, as it appears to us, supplying crack cocaine and heroin but they’ve been making a huge amount of money doing it.

“They’ve been using violence, they’ve been exploiting vulnerable people and very young people, as young as 14, have been engaged in the drug dealing operation, so they need to be locked up.”

She continued: “People like this, who may appear to have been operating with impunity for a period of time, cause devastation and fear.

“It sends a very strong signal to the public, who are very supportive in the police in these sorts of operations, that we are putting a lot of effort into carrying out work like this.”

The raids follow a rise in violent crime across the capital. More than 50 people have been murdered so far this year, and knife crime has shot up by 38 per cent under the leadership of Mayor Sadiq Khan.

Burglary, rape, and gang-related acid attacks are also on the rise.