Knife crime officers arrest suspect after alleyway drug deal sighting

A suspected drug dealer on an electric motorbike was detained by the knife crime team while they were out on patrol.

Officers were out in plain-clothes when they spotted what looked like a drug user hanging around near a St Ann’s alleyway.

Someone riding a high-powered e-bike joined them moments later, with what appeared to be a drug deal then taking place.

This happened around 2pm on Wednesday (20 November), with the rider speeding off down a footpath when approached by officers.

The knife crime team conducted an area search in the minutes that followed, during which they spotted a similar motorbike in Thorneywood.

After knocking on the door of a nearby house, someone matching the description of the person involved in the suspected drug deal answered.

The officers then entered the property – with Class A drugs, a burner-style phone, and a high-powered electric bike all found inside the address.

An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, driving without a licence, and driving without insurance.

At that point, they were also identified as being a suspect in another incident where a witness in a separate case was reportedly threatened with violence.

As a result, they were additionally arrested on suspicion of intimidating a witness/juror.  

PC Joe Riley, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:

“Our knife crime team don’t just focus on taking weapons off the streets, we also keep our eyes out for other crimes like drug offending while we’re out in the community.

“On this occasion, we were able to spot what looked like a drug deal taking place while we were out on a plain-clothed patrol and then react to the situation as it presented itself.

“The end result was a suspect being arrested for a multitude of alleged offences, which represented a positive result for us.

“Aside from the detrimental impact it causes to the community, drug supply offending often goes hand-in-hand with weapon-enabled crime like knife-carrying, which is precisely why we look to target these offences too.”