Man arrested on drug dealing charge during counterfeit money investigation in Hemel Hempstead

A man has been arrested in connection to an ongoing counterfeit money investigation in Hemel Hempstead.

Counter terrorism police announced today (7 June) that a man has been arrested following searches of four properties in Hertfordshire.

Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) officers obtained warrants to search two homes in the county.

On Thursday (1 June) officers raided two addresses in Hemel Hempstead and Radlett.

Around £2,000 in suspected counterfeit cash was seized from the Radlett address, and a 23-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of counterfeit currency and possession with intent to supply cannabis.

He has since been released on bail.

With support from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Operation Scorpion team, investigators also identified a flat in Hemel Hempstead thought to be ‘cuckooed’ as part of county lines drug dealing.

Between one-two kilogrammes of cannabis was found in the address, along with £1,000 worth of money.

Criminal groups involved in drug dealing frequently use ‘cuckooed’ addresses - often homes of vulnerable people or drug users - as a base for dealing drugs.

Gangs target those who are lonely, isolated, or have addiction issues. The vulnerable person is then manipulated into letting gangs use their home.

They often use the property for a short amount of time before moving address, to reduce the chance of being caught, terrorism police advise.

Detective Constable Robert Sheldon, from ERSOU, said: “This arrest forms part of an operation into suspected counterfeit currency criminality, and our enquiries are ongoing.

"We often see gangs operating across different types of criminality, and our intelligence shows that drug dealing in particular is directly linked to an array of other offending.

“That’s why we’ll continue to work closely with local forces to identify criminals operating in our communities and ensure they are brought to justice.”

Information on suspected counterfeit money can be reported to police by calling 101 or visiting your local force’s website. More information is also available on the Action Fraud website.

Police intelligence on county line drug dealing can be discovered on Hertfordshire Constabulary’s website here.

More information on ERSOU can be found here.