Seven people have been arrested during a series of coordinated search warrants across Kent to tackle organised crime groups and the cultivation and supply of cannabis.
On Wednesday 24 March 2021, simultaneous activity took place at properties in Medway, Maidstone and the Isle of Sheppey as part of an investigation by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.
The warrants were executed at around 5.45am, with enforcement centred around the operation of large-scale drug supply networks and money laundering offences.
At an address in Second Avenue, Queenborough, officers seized 59 sealed bags of cannabis weighing more than 1.5 kilograms as well as around £7,300 in cash.
In Belmont Road, Gillingham, a drugs cultivation was discovered across four rooms of a property, whilst almost £3,000 in cash was found at a location in The Meadows, Tovil, along with further suspected evidence of cannabis supply.
Six men and a woman were arrested.
A man aged 45, from Queenborough was later charged with conspiracy to produce cannabis, being concerned in the supply of cannabis and money laundering offences.
Another man aged 29, from Tovil, was charged with conspiracy to produce cannabis and being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
Another aged 30, of no fixed address was also charged with producing cannabis. These three were all remanded in custody to appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 25 March.
Two other suspects will also appear at court, on later dates. A 45-year-old woman from Queenborough was charged with money laundering offences. She is bailed to Medway Magistrates’ Court on 13 May.
A man aged 44 also from Queenborough, was charged with conspiracy to produce cannabis and is bailed to the same court on 20 May.
The two other men arrested, aged 22 and 48, were released pending further investigation.