19 charged after drugs raids as Operation Warrior continues

Police have charged 19 people as part of the latest action to tackle serious and organised crime in Lancashire.

As part of Operation Warrior, police executed warrants at properties in Blackpool, St Annes, Lytham, Fleetwood and Greater Manchester over the last seven days and seized cocaine, cannabis, cash, mobile phones and weapons.

As a result of these pro-active raids, they arrested and have since charged the following people with conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis and money laundering. All were remanded into custody and have since appeared before magistrates.

They are:

Chad James, 35, of no fixed address

Mark McGovern 60, of Ingleway Avenue, Leyton

Tony Johnson, 35, of Horncliffe Road, Blackpool

Peter James, 63, of Scarsdale Avenue, Blackpool

Sean Norbury, 35, of Vernon Avenue, Blackpool.

Dean O'Hara, 28, of Coopers Way, Blackpool

Adam Walker, 36, of Laundry Road, Blackpool

Andrew Walsh, 60, of Greystone Place, Blackpool

Nicola Sharples, 31, of Lytham Road, Blackpool

Robert Rotheray, 65, of George Street, Southend on Sea

Mark Harris, 30, of Woodlands Road, Ansdell

Christian Jarvis, 32, of Priory Mews, Lytham

Archie Fowler, 47, of Carshalton Road, Blackpool

Jake Barrett, 25, of Rosebank Avenue, Blackpool

Branden Vaughn, 30, of Ashley Rd, St Annes

Shaun Drinkwater, 41, of Seabourne Ave, Blackpool

John Green, 41, of Brodick Drive, Bolton

Simon Price, 32, of Ashbury Close, Bolton

Mark Senior, 32, of Willowbank Avenue, Blackpool

The following people arrested as part of the investigation have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

A 37-year-old man from Wesham

A 41-year-old man from Fleetwood

A 48-year-old man from Fleetwood

A 50-year-old man from Prestwich

A 32-year-old man from Bromley Cross

A 57-year-old man from Prestwich

A 37-year-old man from Blackpool.

Operation Warrior is the response to tackling serious and organised crime in Lancashire and delivering on Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden's Fighting Crime Plan priority of disrupting and dismantling organised crime.

Between January and December 2023, we arrested 1,209 as part of Operation Warrior. The people who were sentenced in that period received a total of 608 years and five months in custody.

They seized 258.9 Kilos of Class A drugs, 57 Kilos of Class B drugs, 17,794 cannabis plants and £1.34millions in cash.

A total of 237 children and 132 adults were safeguarded from OCGs.

Supt Graham Hill, Head of Serious Crime, said: “Operation Warrior is about tackling serious and organised crime, protecting vulnerable people and making sure OCGs get the message that Lancashire is not a safe haven for them to operate in.

“Over the past 12 months we have dismantled a number of OCGs in the county, put their members behind bars and taken their cash off them. The latest arrests should send a clear message that this pro-active policing will continue. Anybody looking to engage in illegal activity in our county should expect to see police officers at their door.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden said: "Op Warrior is the Constabulary's response to my Police and Crime Plan priority of disrupting and dismantling organised crime.

"Having joined officers on multiple raids over the years, it is always fantastic to see their hard work pay off and to see these criminals put behind bars where they belong.

"Targeted operations like this take meticulous planning, from gathering intelligence, to putting doors through, and making arrests, and these latest results are clear evidence of the fantastic work of our local officers.

"I want to thank Lancashire residents for their continued support, and I hope that seeing these results encourages them to continue to report suspicious activity, either directly to the police or anonymously to Crimestoppers."

If you are aware of illegal activity in your area report it via 101. If a crime is in progress, always call 999.