MORE than 130 people were stopped and searched by police at Woking railway station after possible signs of drugs were found by sniffer dogs.

Nine arrests were made during Operation Barricade last week. Four weapons were seized, eight people were given warnings over drugs and four were reported for summons to appear in court. Stolen property worth £300 was recovered.

The five-day Operation Barricade was an initiative led by Detective Inspector Andrew Greaves, the Woking Borough Commander, into one of the greatest scourges in the area.

Det Insp Greaves, who took over the role last summer, said that tackling drug supply and its associated violence, was his main priority.

He said drug dealing and consumption had various knock-on effects, from violence between dealers to burglaries by drug users to fund their habit.

“A smartly dressed gentleman walked past our dog on the station platform during Operation Barricade and said words to the effect of ‘why aren’t you out catching burglars?’ If I had been able to go up and talk to him, I would have explained how drug dealing and crimes such as burglaries are linked,” Det Insp Greaves said.

For the full story, see the 20 December edition of the Woking News & Mail