Police carried out a series of dawn raids in a crackdown on drugs in Cumbria.
Officers arrested 18 people during the operation, which saw them use a chainsaw to enter some properties and sniffer dogs.
Police found drugs, illicit prescription drugs, knives, knuckledusters, phones and over £5,000 in suspected illegally-made cash.
A further 27 arrests were made this week as part of Operation Merlin.
Officers carried out warrants into drug supply and online child abuse offences.
The force’s online child abuse team led on seven separate disruptions during the campaign, resulting in three warrants executed, four arrests made, and several digital devices seized. Officers also carried out safeguarding interventions.
The operation also resulted in enquiries carried out to round up identified suspects wanted for a range of offences including domestic abuse, drug supply, rape and stalking offences.
As well as the arrests, seizures and warrants, police followed up by reaching out to almost 700 residents in neighbourhoods by going door-to-door and handing out leaflets appealing for information and help.
Detective Chief Inspector David Cooper, head of Cumbria Constabulary’s serious and organised crime unit, was one of the leading officers for this operation.
He said: “We work all-year-round to tackle criminality across all areas of crime impacting on our communities.
“This intensified disruption campaign was conducted by our specialist capabilities and neighbourhood policing teams and underlines our commitment to supporting our law-abiding communities in tackling head-on those who commit crimes across Cumbria.
“Our focus was on high-harm drugs supply, online child abuse and ‘rounding up’ wanted persons in our communities who thought they were above the law and the consequences.
“Disrupting community drug supply, investigating online child abuse and more generally, holding criminals to account are amongst shared community and policing priorities towards a safer county.
“This co-ordinated action should send a clear message to those dealing in this trade: We will not stand for this and they will be stopped.
“High-harm drugs such as heroin and cocaine can have a devastating impact on peoples’ lives. There is also the knock-on effect on communities, such as the anti-social behaviour linked to homes being used to deal and the thefts that accompany people stealing to feed their addictions.
“We will do all we can to stop drugs criminals targeting our communities as they aim to line their pockets at the expense of other people’s misery.”
