CANNABIS plants, a haul of Class A drugs and thousands of pounds in cash were seized in a series of drugs raids in York.

Police arrested 13 people, executing warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Theft Act, as teams raided ten properties in the Heworth and Huntington Road area during yesterday’s dawn raids.

The crackdown was one of the largest and most concerted recent drug-busting operations in York. More than 100 officers were involved and 76 cannabis plants were seized, plus £5,000 cash, heroin, amphetamines and stolen property.

Chief Inspector Dave Hannan said the raids – codenamed Operation Gatecrasher – were the result of tip-offs provided by the local community.

“Operation Gatecrasher is the result of listening to the local community and the concerns they have in the local area and acting on that intelligence,” he said.

“Like any major city, York does have a problem with drugs, but we are continually working to crack down on it.

“We had 102 officers invested in the day of action, working together to carry out a number of simultaneous raids to show that those who deal in and use drugs are not above the law.

“It is one of the biggest one-off drug crackdowns we have had for a long time in York.”

Officers from various departments at York Police, including neighbourhood response teams, were joined by a specialist drug dog squad.

Chief Insp Hannan said: “It was a very good day and all the work we have done is thanks to intelligence we have received from the local community.

“Listening to the concerns of local residents is what we are focused on doing and we will be taking more positive action on specific dates over the coming months.

“This operation targeted individuals identified by intelligence who are known to commit drugs and theft offences which contribute towards anti-social behaviour in the area.

“By bringing these offenders to justice we can help to suppress criminal activity in the long-term and make York a safer place for all residents in the city.

“We hope the public will continue to work with us and they can be assured that we will act on intelligence given to us to prevent the use of drugs in York.”

City of York Council officers were also involved in the operation. Neil McFarlane, the council’s tenancy enforcement manager, said: “During this operation, we have worked closely with North Yorkshire Police to tackle problems with council tenants and other residents.

“This has given the tenancy enforcement team the opportunity to listen and work with local residents and make key improvements in this area, specifically with tenants who have previously failed to comply with gas servicing and other areas.”