Cheltenham drug gangs targeted in police operation

A housing estate in Cheltenham has become the first area targeted by Gloucestershire Police in a crackdown on organised crime gangs.

Police are working to stamp out a gang involved in drug dealing in Moors Avenue, St Paul’s.

It is part of Operation Endeavour, which aims to remove organised criminal gangs from an area and prevent them from returning.

Chief Constable Rod Hansen said the gangs had a profound impact on the lives of local residents. “It’s the fear that can plague a local community,” he said.

“(Residents) are a little nervous, or even afraid, to come forward and support a prosecution or tell us what’s happening,” he added.

“And we need to give them the confidence, the protection and the support to do that.”

Operation Endeavour was recently implemented within the police force.

It consists of three parts: cleaning up crime in an area, preventing criminals from returning or moving to other areas, and restoring community ties.

According to police, there are currently 17 organised crime gangs operating in Gloucestershire. They are involved in a range of criminal activities including drug dealing, arms sales, planning cyber attacks, hare hunting, meat harvesting and human trafficking.

Moors Avenue was chosen as the first location for the operation due to a ‘high risk of serious crime’ related to the sale of Class A drugs and information about firearms.

Detective Inspector Mike Yates believes the estate’s closed environment has made it easier to conceal illegal activity, along with overgrown areas used to hide drugs and weapons, gaps in fences creating ‘escape routes’ for criminals and poor lighting and CCTV allowing criminal activity to go unnoticed.

According to Inspector Yates, some residents are therefore afraid to leave their homes.

“For those who have young people around them or people who are vulnerable in some way, just stepping through the threshold could leave you vulnerable to harm or capture by these organised criminals,” he added.

Many people approached by the BBC in Moors Avenue did not want to talk about criminal activity in the area.

A resident, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, said a man had been beaten up by three people in front of his front door.

“There was a man jumping through our yard trying to escape from the police,” he added.

“You see a lot of drug deals happening, you see a lot of cars stopping and people buying drugs.

“You find a lot of needles on the ground, there’s the occasional fight and the police are there at least twice a week.”

Gloucestershire Constabulary has said Operation Endeavour will also be used in the future to tackle criminal gangs in other parts of the region.