Roundup: Submachine gun, nine people nabbed in London anti-gang raids

LONDON, April 12 (Xinhua) -- British police have arrested nine people, including a 14-year-old boy, and also seized a machine gun in a series of raids across London that they say is a "massive blow" to violent gang crime in the capital,Scotland Yard said here Thursday.

Around 200 police officers took part in operations across west London overnight, arresting nine people, including some the Metropolitan Police said were believed to be senior figures in a lucrative crack cocaine and heroin dealing outfit.

At a house in Dorchester Close, Northolt, young children could be heard crying as dozens of officers flooded inside shouting: "Police."

Elsewhere, as a police squad crept up to one seemingly empty address in Stephendale Road, Fulham, officers noticed a 30-year-old suspect sitting in a car.

During a search officers found a Skorpion machine pistol along with another handgun, 40 rounds of ammunition, and a kilo of suspected class A drugs, Scotland Yard said.

Some of those arrested were believed to be senior figures in a crack cocaine and heroin-dealing outfit, Scotland Yard said.

An alleged drug-runner, 14, was arrested at his family home. He was among those detained in eight raids in Northolt, Greenford, Fulham and Brentford.

Two women in their 30s and a 49-year-old woman were also among those arrested.

The arrests were connected to the established "MDP" gang, police said, which has been linked with several murders.

Those detained were held over offences such as conspiracy to supply drugs and possession of firearms.

In Brentford, a woman, 34, was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs with intent to supply, as well as a 33-year-old woman who was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods.

In Earls Court a 49-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

British Detective Inspector Driss Hayoukane said, "This is a massive blow to an established gang."

"This gang have been running that line for quite a while and making a lot of money," he said. "These gangs have corrupted children and are using them to ferry drugs."

"If you look across London, these are the kids that are getting involved in violence and stabbings because they are generally on the streets while the suppliers are removed from it, collecting the cash."

The operation was the result of about six months of planning by London police's Trident anti-gang unit.

The Met commissioner, Cressida Dick, had been on patrol in Hackney, east London, on Wednesday evening, where she said gang tensions were high after a spate of stabbings.

Speaking to reporters shortly before the raids, she said the suspects had been causing devastation and fear in communities.

"They are very violent, several of them have a history of serious violence, at least one is suspected of regularly using a firearm," she said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that "intelligence-led and targeted" operations would continue over the coming weeks.

"Those committing violent crime, including criminal gangs, will be targeted," the mayor said. "Extra resources from City Hall are being used for more enforcement work from our police."

The London operation came just days after the British government launched its Violent Crime Strategy, aimed at cracking down on offenders and addressing many of the drivers of violent crime.

British Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Monday vowed to do "whatever it takes" to make Britain's streets safe when she unveiled plans.

Across Britain, violent crime is up around 20 percent on the previous year.

In London, the last few weeks have seen a spike in murders, particularly fatal stabbings.

This month, the murder rate in the capital overtook the rate in New York for the first time since records began.

On top of the number of deaths, many more have been injured in knife attacks. One of those hurt last week was just 13 years old - many of the victims and perpetrators are teenagers. Enditem