MORE than 80 police officers have carried out dawn raids on suspected major drug dealers in Stockton.

Cleveland Police struck at a number of premises in the area, looking for dealers believed to be involved in the conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Men aged 16, 19, 20, 21 and 37 were arrested at homes in the Tilery and Newtown estates.

Two of the properties are now subject to crack house closure orders.

The raids were part of Operation Stockholm – an investigation carried out by Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Stockton and Stockton Drugs Unit, based on information gathered from the community.

Two weeks ago, six men and one woman were arrested for drug offences in the first phase of the operation.

Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Steve Young said: “The operation we ran a fortnight ago was a great success, and we managed to remove a number of drug dealers from the streets of Stockton, which is what the local community want.

“They want the drug pushers out of their area to make it a safer place to live. Residents had the confidence in their local officers to pass on information about drugs activity in the area, which we have used to gather intelligence.

“As part of the Policing Pledge, we have been consulting with Stockton’s communities on a regular basis, and it is this excellent community engagement that has enabled us to gather all of the information needed to carry out this operation.

“The Neighbourhood Policing Teams in Stockton have an excellent working relationship with the community.”