Seven charged after dawn raids across Kent
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Police search scrap metal
dealerships across Kent
Seven men have been charged
after dawn raids across Thanet and a drugs warrant last
month.
The raids yesterday were to
crack down on metal thefts, but all those appearing in Margate
magistrates' court today are on drugs charges.
They are:
Marcus Vella, 38, of Burlington
Drive, Beltinge, charged with producing and conspiring to produce a
class B drug (cannabis) and abstracting electricity without
authority.
John Powders, 46, of Northdown
Road, Margate, charged with supplying and being concerned in the
supply of a class B drug (amphetamine) and supplying a class A drug
(cocaine).
Andrew Bailey, 22, of
Conyngham Close, Ramsgate, charged with being concerned in the
supply and offer to supply a class A drug (cocaine) and being
concerned in the supply and offer to supply a class B drug
(amphetamine).
Stuart McClean, 43, of
Riversdale Road, Ramsgate, charged with the possession of a class B
drug (amphetamine) and supplying a class B drug
(amphetamine).
Three other men were charged and
will appear before magistrates on March 8:
Curtis Woolley, 35, of
Linnington Road, Ramsgate, charged with producing and conspiring to
produce a class B drug (cannabis) and abstracting electricity
without authority.
Daniel Rolfe, 38, of Staplehurst Gardens, Margate,
charged with handling stolen goods (two offences).
Andrew Rowland, 24, of
Marlborough Road, Ramsgate, charged with handling stolen goods
(nine counts).
It comes after police teams raided
eight homes and two commercial properties across Thanet
yesterday.
Seven scrap yards were also visited
across Kent. At sites in Ramsgate, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge and
Tenterden search warrants were executed and road checks held close
to the businesses.
At yards in Aylesford, Erith and
Canterbury, staff were given advice by police about their
responsibilities under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act. Road checks
were also carried out.
Speaking yesterday, Detective Chief
Inspector Paul Fotheringham said: "For the more unscrupulous,
engaging in this sort of crime is a very tempting way of making a
lot of money and helps fund other criminals activities so this is a
targeted approach to taking out those crime networks."
"We have a real issue in Thanet with
people breaking into unoccupied properties and stripping the
premises of copper wiring and other metals which can net thousands
and thousands of pounds what with the price of metal so high.
"We’re after those people who are
turning up at such premises on a regular basis with high volumes of
metal.
"Whilst it’s perfectly normal for a
plumber to collect his offcuts and trade them in at the end of the
month to recoup a hundred pounds or so, anyone turning up three or
four times a week with large quantities should raise suspicions at
law-abiding scrapyards."
"It’s becoming a real problem both
county- and nationwide. In the last six weeks in East Kent alone
we’ve seen telegraph poles cut down to get to the wiring, which led
to 2,000 people losing power to their homes."
Wednesday, February 08 2012
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