Operation Big Wing results in 25 arrests in Brent

London-wide Met initiative targeted suspect ‘low-level’ criminals in all 32 boroughs

Police arrested 25 people in Brent as part of a London-wide crackdown on suspect ‘low-level’ criminals blighting their local communities.

Operation Big Wing, which took place throughout yesterday, was a Met initiative to tackle crime and disorder across all 32 boroughs.

Officers seized drugs, weapons, money and uninsured cars across the city and made 600 arrests.

In Brent police stopped 85 cars during Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) checks resulting in five seizures.

The first raid in Brent was carried out at an address in Kilburn suspected of housing a cannabis factory.

Drug paraphernalia was found at the Victorian terraced home and the family were questioned by police (see video above).

Officers raided a further six addresses in the borough, including one in Neasden where hundreds of pounds worth of cannabis were uncovered. A man was arrest for drug offences.

A suspected dangerous dog was seized at another address.

Police visited 35 licensed premises in the borough resulting in the immediate closure of one.

Out of the 25 arrests in Brent four were held over immigration offences.

Chief Superintendent Simon Letchford, who led the operation, said: “Gang violence, drugs, and knife crime are serious, high harm crimes that can sadly have a devastating and lasting effect on local communities; however, there are also many other issues which might be seen as ‘lower level’ offences, such as anti-social behaviour or uninsured drivers, that we know can and do blight the daily lives of too many people.

“Yesterday’s operation was about showing Londoners that we have listened to their concerns and we are committed to taking robust preventative and disruptive action to stop this criminal activity and make their communities safer.”