Four men have been arrested as part of a pre-dawn swoop to smash a drugs gang in Wigan thought to supply crack cocaine and heroin across the north west.
The men, aged 23, 25, 26 and 32, were held following swoops across the borough at 6am today (Thursday). They were being questioned on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
The arrests are part of a continuing investigation into a violent county lines drugs gang based in Wigan said to prey on vulnerable addicts.
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Officers from GMP's 'Challenger' team in Wigan executed two warrants, one on Garvin Jones Grove in Bickershaw and one in Broomfield House in Standish.
Pictures from the scene showed the suspects were detained and led away in handcuffs to be questioned in custody. Video showed officers sawing a front door in half before smashing it down to execute the search and arrest.
The raids, part of Operation Movan, follows an investigation into the alleged large scale drugs supply operating in Wigan and across the North West.
During the raids, police searched the properties and recovered approximately £4,000 in cash, cocaine, a machete, and an axe as well as three vehicles.
Detective Inspector Zoe Nightingale said: "The execution of warrants occurring this morning are the results of an operation into a criminal network suspected of supplying large quantities of crack cocaine and heroin, using intimidation and violence along the way.
"We believe they were operating under a county lines model using mobile phones to supply drugs to vulnerable addicts and in turn make a substantial profit.
"The threat and risk of harm to those involved in or associated with serious and organised crime is why we continue to be relentless in our pursuit of these criminal networks, to ultimately protect the community.
"I want to take this opportunity to encourage the public to report what is occurring in their area knowing police will take action.”
If people have information relating to serious and organised crime, they are urged by police to contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or call GMP via 101.
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