Massive samurai sword found in ‘county lines crack house’ opposite school in Dagenham

This is the moment police smashed an alleged county lines gang operating opposite a school in east London – where police seized a Samurai sword.

More than a dozen officers stormed a flat in Dagenham after a tip-off from locals who claimed crack cocaine dealers were making their lives a misery. 

They seized the Class A drug and heroin – as well as more than £1,000 in cash and a cache of weapons, including a samurai sword and a Taser – on the raid, which Metro attended.

Police arrested seven at the flat, six of them on suspicion of possessing weapons, as part of the operation codenamed Gunnison.

A woman among the group was also arrested on suspicion of possession of heroin, while a man was found to have broken his probation conditions and was returned to jail. Another was wanted for theft.

The ‘crack house’ was allegedly run as a county lines drug operation with cars frequently pulling up outside and couriers picking up and delivering drugs and cash. 

The vehicles would park outside the school opposite the flat where deals were allegedly done. 

After a tip-off and weeks of surveillance, police raided the first-floor flat on Tuesday morning.

Officers worked quickly to avoid being identified on the Ring camera at the door, which would have given those inside a chance to dispose of the crack rocks, which were later sniffed out by police dogs.

Inside, the flat was squalid and littered with what appeared to be drug paraphernalia.

A phone – believed to be used to take drug orders from across London and neighbouring counties, including Essex – was carefully sealed in an evidence bag.

Two electric scales, believed to be used to weigh narcotics, were also found. The Samurai sword was around two feet long, while the Taser was stashed in a bedroom. 

Officers also recovered a wallet containing £1,399 in cash and what appeared to be 27 wraps of crack cocaine and a wrap of heroin.

The seven suspects were lined up outside the flat, handcuffed, and driven off to cells. 

Locals in the block praised the police for their swift action at the scene. One neighbour offered to make the team tea, while a schoolgirl with her mother told an officer: ‘I love the police.’

The council will now investigate whether the flat is being ‘cuckooed’, a term used when criminals take over the property of a vulnerable person to run their county line or other criminal operation.

If not, it will be repossessed and the locks will be changed.

Following the raid, Dagenham Police Superintendent Biju Premnath told Metro: ‘With the help of the public, we are making life very uncomfortable for these county lines.

‘This flat was near a school, which is obviously very concerning. We work closely with the schools to give reassurance.

‘I would like to praise the bravery and professionalism of the officers. The fact that a samurai sword was found highlights the dangers. Who needs a samurai sword?’

He encouraged members of the public to come forward with tip-offs, adding they would remain anonymous.

A parent whose child goes to the school near the alleged crack house told Metro: ‘No parent should have to have their kids walking to school past cars collecting or dropping off drugs.

‘They shouldn’t have to see drug users shooting up in front of them. It’s great that the police have acted and we are all very relieved.’

In a week in March, the Met arrested 415 people and closed 115 county lines operations.

In the so-called ‘intensification week’ 85,000g of crack cocaine was also seized.

Last year, they closed 1,500 county lines and arrested 5,000 people.

Superintendent Premnath added: ‘If you are running a county line, my message is we are coming for you.

‘We are having successes and are putting resources into this with the help of the public.’

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