THE work of Essex Police's specialist drugs teams, including the discovery and closure of a cannabis farm in the heart of Tilbury where crops worth an estimated £1 million were uncovered, has been highlighted.

In a newly released summary of anti-drugs activity, the force has revealed that its 'Disruptor officers' targeting drug gangs and serious violence in their west Essex divisions, which includes Thurrock,  have seized an estimated £4 million of drugs during their team's first year of operation.

Almost £3million of the total was seized during just three of the 56 warrants executed by officers from the Disruptor team since May last year. They were all cannabis grows. The rest comprises cocaine, heroin and other illegal drugs.

West Disruptor is one of three such teams in Essex who work with other local and specialist teams – including CID, the force's Operational Support Group, Force Support Unit, Dog Section and local and community policing teams – to target organised criminal activity & behaviour that impacts local communities, and to bring offenders to justice.

West Disruptor officers have arrested 179 people on suspicion of a variety of offences during the past 12 months, including attempted murder, sexual assault, kidnap, aggravated burglary, slavery, drugs supply, assault causing grievous bodily harm, money laundering and possession of firearms, offensive weapons and noxious substances.

They also seized tens of thousands of pounds in cash suspected to be the proceeds of crime, four firearms and numerous knives and other weapons, such as knuckledusters.

More than £1.8million of cannabis plants and cuttings and a shotgun were recovered in July 2021 after the team executed warrants in the Epping and Waltham Abbey areas.

One man was arrested and three people suspected to be victims of modern slavery were rescued and supported by specialist officers. Our inquiries are ongoing.

Two men were jailed for a total of two years for producing cannabis after a series of warrants were executed in September 2021 across Essex, Kent, London and Hertfordshire.

Around £324,000 of plants were recovered from one address and 5kg of prepared cannabis was recovered from another, plus £25,000 cash.

And last month, they recovered an estimated £1million cannabis crop after executing a warrant at the derelict Calcutta Social Club in Tilbury. Assisted by the  Force Support Unit, they sawed through a number of doors to reach the cultivation which had been set up inside.

Two men were arrested and inquiries are ongoing.

Sergeant James Bull, of West Disruptor, says: "Drugs, and the serious violence and harm which are associated with them, cause untold misery to our neighbourhoods and to vulnerable people.

"We are here to work with communities to stop damage relating to drugs and drug dealing and give them some respite from criminal activity. But we can't do it without people's help.

"So, tell us what you know about criminal and anti-social behaviour in your area. Information about car number plates, names, CCTV and doorbell images is all useful knowledge which will help us to target those responsible. Don't assume we already know, report it via our website at www.essex.police.uk or by ringing 101."

But cocaine, heroin, cannabis and other illegal drugs are not the only focus of the  Disruptor teams.

Sgt Bull says: "We mount various proactive policing operations which help to keep our communities safe and provide vital community reassurance. This includes working with other specialist policing teams to identify and arrest suspects for other crimes."

Among the successes reported by the team, a man is due to be sentenced shortly after admitting a series of sexual assaults in Aveley and Grays following work by anti-drugs officers and Grays CID.

Leonard Scamp, 33, of Love Lane, Aveley, was spotted and arrested by Disruptor officers after detectives had established an image of the suspect. Again, they searched his home address and found evidence key to the investigation.