London gang member jailed after heroin and crack worth £,1000 found in home raid

A London gang member has been jailed for three years after police found £1,000 worth of drugs when police raided his South London home.

Michael Richards, 22, was found in the Lambeth address with “multiple wraps of class A drugs” and large amounts of cash in November 2021, police said.

Laboratory tests determined the drugs to be heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis. A police spokesperson said the street value of the drugs was estimated to be around £1,000.

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Michael Richards was subsequently charged on two accounts of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A and possession of a controlled class B.

Richards appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Thursday (January 6), where he was handed a three-year custodial sentence.

The raid on Richards’ home was carried out after the Met’s Violent Crime Task Force (VCTF) issued a warrant.

Inspector Dan Thompson, who leads VCTF Proactive Syndicate 11, based at Sutton, said: “The distribution of drugs fuels violence and the associated criminality that accompanies it causes misery to local communities.

“This is a great example of how the VCTF is tasked to an area and can really focus on those individuals who are driving up violence on our streets and in our communities through the supply of drugs.”

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Inspector Thompson added: “Despite these reductions, we are not complacent and know there is more to do.

“Our determination to tackle these crimes remains strong and we will continue to work with our partners, using every power and tactic available, to serve and protect our communities.

“We are absolutely committed to driving down violent crime and we will relentlessly focus on those individuals intent on causing violence.’’

The Met urges anyone with information about violence to contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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