Seventeen more arrests in police raids across county including Thanet

Raids have been carried out across the county Photo Kent Police

A further 17 arrests have been made on the second day of raids targeting suspected offenders with links to violent crime.

Search warrants were executed at 16 properties  today (June 19) resulting in the seizure of 15 weapons alongside more than £10,000 cash and a quantity of class A drugs.

The enforcement action was carried out by Kent Police officers alongside detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, with the total number of arrests across the two days currently standing at 44.

One of the warrants was carried out at a residential address in Maidstone, where two people were arrested for money laundering offences. A number of designer handbags and shoes worth an estimated £10,000 were seized from within the property, in addition to approximately £1,000 cash inside a Gucci bag.

The other searches across the two days were carried out at properties in Thanet, Dover, Tenterden, Folkestone, Dartford, Medway, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Canterbury and Gravesend.

Officers also travelled to several addresses in London to target those suspected of bringing criminality across the border.

Assistant Chief Constable Nicola Faulconbridge said: “We take a zero tolerance approach to knife crime and other forms of violence and are committed to targeting those responsible.

“The action taken across both days demonstrates how serious we are about clamping down on this type of criminality and keeping Kent a safe place for all. However, it is important to remember that our work never stops and our officers will continue to make Kent a hostile place for those intent on bringing violence to our communities.

“We take a proactive approach to tackling knife crime, targeting those with links to other forms of criminality such as county lines drug dealing who are more likely to be involved in committing acts of violence. By making arrests and seizing items at the earliest possible opportunity, we help reduce the chances of violent crime being committed in the first place.

“Members of the public are our eyes and ears in the fight against drug dealing and knife crime, and we urge anyone with information to come forward and let us know. ”

Crime or incidents can be reported online by clicking here or by calling 101. Alternatively contact Kent Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.’