SENIOR detectives have said they are ramping up their partnership with the Metropolitan Police in an attempt to dismantle county lines drugs gangs.

Det Ch Insp Neal Miller has told the Gazette Essex Police are also deploying specialist units which are expected to disrupt the supply of illegal drugs coming into the county.

Last week, three people died in four days from a contaminated batch of a class A drug which is believed to be heroin, and the incident has led to police explaining their approach to tackling the illegal activity in greater detail.

Gazette: Concern – three people died from a contaminated batch of class A drugs last weekConcern – three people died from a contaminated batch of class A drugs last week (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Miller, who is also head of Essex Police’s serious violence unit, said the force intercepts communication between dealers and users so they can arrest offenders higher up in the chain.

He said: “We have specialist teams in Operation Raptor and Operation Orochi which specialise in targeting people who supply drugs in Essex and come into Essex.

“Operation Raptor has specialist proactive officers whose role is to target these lines and Orochi targets the telephone communications aspect.

“That’s how we target dangerous lines – we work in partnership with a number of different teams like the Metropolitan Police and the National Crime Agency.”

Two of the three men arrested last week in relation to drug dealing in Colchester have addresses in London, and Mr Miller explained how Essex Police make the link between Essex and the capital.

He said: “We can show people in London are communicating with people in Essex and we have our methods in how we produce that as evidence.”

It is hoped a reduction in drug dealing will result in a fall in other criminal activity including violence and knife possession.

Gazette: Charged – two people, both of whom have addresses in London, were charged last weekCharged – two people, both of whom have addresses in London, were charged last week (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

“My teams target the most dangerous lines through the data – if we can take out the person calling that line, that reduces violence within the local community.

“We stop the person selling those drugs, and that stops the violence as well.

“Those two people charged were dealing in Essex – if they supply drugs in Essex we will target them.”