A sweeping police crackdown has dealt a significant blow to county lines drug dealers operating across Cambridgeshire, resulting in 51 arrests and more than 100 charges.
Led by Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Operation Hypernova targeted organised criminal networks using vulnerable people, including children, to distribute class A drugs across the county and beyond.
Over the course of the month-long operation, officers carried out more than 30 dawn raids in Cambridge, Peterborough, Ramsey, Ely, Cambourne, St Ives, and as far afield as London, Grimsby, and Leicester. The raids followed extensive intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration, including support from the Metropolitan Police’s Orochi Team, British Transport Police, and the Eastern Regional Specialist Operations Unit (ERSOU).
Drugs, Weapons and Exploitation Uncovered
Police shut down 50 active drug lines and seized illegal substances worth an estimated £55,000, including cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, and cannabis. More than £57,000 in cash, £8,000 in cryptocurrency, luxury watches, and high-end trainers were also recovered, highlighting the scale of the criminal enterprise.
Crucially, officers also confiscated over 10 weapons, including machetes, swords, and knuckle dusters, significantly reducing the threat of violence in local communities.
Operation Hypernova has now safeguarded 28 vulnerable individuals, many of whom had been exploited by gangs for drug trafficking. “Once again, we have significantly disrupted organised criminal networks across the county who are profiting from the exploitation of vulnerable people,” said Detective Inspector Dan Miller. “We will continue to relentlessly pursue those responsible.”
Since its launch three years ago, Operation Hypernova has led to 149 arrests, the closure of 134 drug lines, and over 100 years in prison sentences.
Cambridgeshire police urge residents to report suspected drug activity. “You don’t have to be certain, just concerned,” they emphasise.
