Eight men arrested on drug charges following Newbury and Greenham raids

More than 90 officers executed the warrants under The Misuse of Drugs Act at nine addresses across the district as part of an operation to clampdown on the supply of the class B drug known as M-Kat or Meow Meow (Mephedrone).
Warrants have been executed at properties in the following locations:
· Kennet Place, Newbury.
· Three addresses in Pigeons Farm Road, Greenham.
· Pritchard Close, Greenham.
· Hill Close, Newbury.
· Wormersley Road, Greenham.
· Cresswell Road, Newbury.
· The Haywards, Thatcham.
The eight men have been arrested on various drugs offences and are currently in custody. Further details about the arrests will be published later.
Det Insp Clare Knibbs of Local CID based at Newbury police station said: “Mephedrone is a Class B drug and is therefore illegal to have on your person, give away or sell.
“Like all other illegal drugs, M-Kat or Meow Meow can cause devastating harm to both drug users and their families. Further, many drug users commit further crimes in order to fund their habit, so there is a collateral effect.
“We have a zero tolerance policy on the supply of drugs in West Berkshire; anyone considering dealing drugs in the district will be caught, prosecuted and can expect to spend a significant period of time in custody.
“I realise that carrying out such warrants can be distressing for communities, so I thank the residents of West Berkshire for their cooperation and patience while we carrying out our searches.
“We will be conducting extra patrols in the areas where warrants have been executed to provide further reassurance to residents.”
Det Insp Knibbs has appealed to anyone who may have information about the supply of drugs or crimes linked to drugs in West Berkshire to come forward and contact police on 101.
Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.