A CRACKDOWN on drugs gangs in Coventry has led to guns being seized, police say.
A raid on a house in Swan Lane, Hillfields, brought in two sawn-off shotguns and a viable antique revolver as three men were arrested.
Officers charged a 40-year-old man with possessing banned firearms, while men aged 20 and 31 were bailed pending further enquiries.
Around £25,000 in cash and a significant quantity of drugs were recovered in the raid.
Ballistics experts are analysing the guns to look into links to shootings in the region.
Around £25,000 was seized at the house
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said: “The public health ‘lockdown’ has seen a drop in non-coronavirus related calls coming into the force and significant reductions in crimes like robbery, burglary and violence.
“We’re now bringing officers from specialist departments like roads policing, operations and Force CID to work with neighbourhood police task-forces to support a concerted campaign targeting drug supply chains.
“The operation has already yielded some notable arrests and seizures of drugs, cash and weapons.
Chief Superintendent Mark Payne said: “The restrictions imposed on the public to control Covid-19 has made it more difficult for people running networks to move drugs or to recruit street-level dealers to do the dirty work on their behalf.
“Criminals who might ordinarily rely on others to commit crime on their behalf are now having to do it themselves, and this presents us with opportunities.
“We’re bringing in resources from a variety of teams across West Midlands Police to support our efforts to target people who are causing real harm in our communities.
“These raids are just the start…I expect us to make significant progress over the next few weeks.
“Information from the public is crucial in our fight against drug dealing and associated crime if anyone has suspicions about drug dealing please contact us via Live Chat at our website or anonymously through the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
