Kent Police have closed down a Margate property that was suspected as being used for county lines drug dealing.
Officers from the Thanet Community Safety Unit applied to Margate Magistrates’ Court for a closure order on the property in Invicta Road and this was approved on Wednesday, May 5.
The order, made under Section 80 of the Anti-social Behaviour and Policing Act 2014, was served the following day and will remain in place for three months. It bans anyone apart from the landlord from accessing the building during that time or they risk arrest.
Kent Police had received multiple calls regarding anti-social behaviour in the area, with reports that drugs were being used at the premises, drug exchanges were taking place over the fence in the back garden and different people were coming and going from the property day and night.
Further issues were also reported to police, including littering, noise from motorbikes and scooters, and criminal damage to other residents’ property.
In March 2021, two men from London aged 18 and 19, were arrested at the address in connection with county lines drug activity. A number of wraps containing class A drugs were found as well as phones and a knife. The men were both released pending further investigation.
Inspector Paul Robson from the Thanet Community Safety Unit said: “This premises had been the epicentre of drug-related anti-social behaviour, with reports of drug dealers working from the back garden to peddle drugs over the fence.
“ It was having a detrimental effect on the neighbouring properties in the area whose residents shouldn’t have to live in fear or anxiety about the illegal activity taking place.
“We are committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and if anyone finds themselves facing a similar situation, we urge them to contact Kent Police, as the information provided could assist officers in taking action to stop drug dealers coming into the area.”
Why does it take soooo long to shut these places down? Also what exactly does it mean by “on going investigation”
Is that another way of saying they got away with it and the police can’t be bothered.
The police like to pick their battles the easier ones the better.
Because like with the travelers the law is there to protect them, not regular citizens abiding by the law & people with issues being exploited & victimized in their own homes.
Further investigation means they will be gathering as much evidence as possible against the two individuals-witness statements, CCTV footage, looking at their electronic devices, possibly gaining banking evidence etc, before they present their evidence to the CPS who then make a decision whether or not to prosecute & what charge they would be facing-there might only be enough evidence to charge them as dealers, there might be enough to charge them as human traffickers potentially.
The law is there to protect EVERYBODY…and we should all be glad that it is/does.
its the only growth industry in thanet , and probably one of its biggest employers .
The judge said to the accused “it’s a little strange that you actually had a business plan in place, for illegally growing cannabis. Did you also have some kind of exit strategy planned?”
The man replied “yes, but it would have probably all gone up in smoke”
lol .