‘Somali drug gang chased out of Southend'

A SOMALI gang which has been targeting vulnerable people in Southend has left the town, a police commander claims.

Chief Insp Andy Prophet has said a sustained police crackdown has ousted the thugs who were flogging heroin and crack cocaine in towerblocks across the town.

Speaking at a Chalkwell Residents’ Association meeting, Chief Insp Prophet responded to questions from residents about the extent of drug problems in the town.

He said: “There is a drug scene in Southend. We had some issues three to four months ago in four high rise blocks. We had a small number of Somali drug dealers who placed themselves in those high rises and there were some nasty assaults on other drug dealers.”

He added a number of police operations involving drug sniffer dogs and search teams had targeted the blocks, searching communal areas where dealers were known to stash drugs.

No drugs were found, but he said: “We did three operations with dogs up in the town’s flats in the mornings and evenings and they left because we made things awkward for them. We have displaced them and it is not affecting our community now.

“There is still a drug scene though, so if anyone has any concerns then call us and we will deal with it.”

A Southend resident, who did not wish to be named, did not share Chief Insp Prophet’s optimism the problem had gone away. He said: “There are still a lot of Somali drug dealers hanging about in Southchurch Road. They are quite blatant about it.

“It is rubbish to say they have gone. Police knock on doors and ask people if they have seen them, but they are not going to say anything because they are too afraid.”

Problems have centred around town centre blocks Quantock, Chiltern, Malvern and Pennine and other town centre areas in recent months.

The Echo highlighted the problem in January after a drug addict claimed in court to have been targeted by the gang.

Peter Marshall, 40, of York Road, Southend, who was subsequently jailed for 12 weeks for theft told Southend Magistrates’ Court he had been manipulated by the dealers.

At the time Mr Prophet told the Echo: “Nobody has contacted Essex Police claiming to have been targeted in the manner highlighted at court.

“We are running regular operations from Southend in response to concerns or information we receive about the dealing of drugs, but this does not focus purely on one group of individuals.”