Police from three regional forces including London arrested 27 people and seized tens of thousands of pounds in cash during an operation that targeted the Dartford Crossing on Monday (June 8).

In a statement posted by the Metropolitan Police Tuesday afternoon (June 9), a spokesperson said that the Met had worked with departments from "Essex, Kent and British Transport Police (BTP) in a joint operation to apprehend violent criminals using the roads and rail networks to transport drugs in and out of London, Kent and Essex."

The Met said that police departments used "Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at fixed sites around the Dartford Crossing, and stopped all vehicles which made an activation".

A remarkable amount of contraband equipment was seized as the police detained 27 people at the crossing during the stops, "for offences including: possession of points and/or blades, possession of drugs, being concerned in the supply of drugs".

In addition, they said that:

Four knives and £32,000 in cash had been seized, along with 14 vehicles "...through having no insurance or were stolen vehicles..."

Detective Chief Inspector Shaun White, of the Metropolitan Police Service, said: “Officers and teams across the Met are using a range of tactics to tackle the supply of drugs on the streets of London.

"Officers are working hard to stop Organised Crime Groups importing drugs into the UK; specialist teams are targeting those managing the supply – exploiting young and vulnerable people to transport the commodity across the UK – and operations like this are identifying those responsible for distributing these substances on the streets.

"There is often a fine line between suspect and victim in these circumstances, and specialist officers supported us throughout this operation.

“I would like to extend my thanks to all those who were involved and who have showed their unwavering dedication to tackling violence. Our work does not stop - we will continue to use tactics such as ANPR and all other lawful powers available to us to target violent crime in London.”

Detective Superintendent Mike Worrall, of the Kent Police Chief Constable’s Crime Squad, added his thoughts after the conclusion of the operation: “County lines gang members cause great harm within our communities and we are committed to tackling the threats posed by those involved in this type of serious criminality," he said.