Last Thursday, Project Adder officers teamed up with the British Transport Police County Lines Taskforce to tackle drug dealing in Blackpool. The operation involved patrolling various areas of the town, conducting stop and searches, seeking wanted individuals, and engaging with vulnerable people to provide support through their ‘lived experience’ colleagues.
During their patrols, officers stopped a vehicle, and after the driver failed a roadside drug wipe for cannabis, a 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of drug driving. He was released under investigation while further inquiries continue.
Later, officers stopped a vehicle in the Waterloo Road area, where a man attempted to flee but was quickly pursued and apprehended. Upon searching him, officers found cash and crack cocaine. The 24-year-old man, identified as Jack Lister from Marsden Road, was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. Lister, 24, has been charged and is set to appear at Preston Crown Court on March 13.
A wanted man, 32-year-old James Honey from Ascot Way, Accrington, was also arrested by the Project Adder team and charged with kidnapping. He is due to appear at Burnley Crown Court on February 26.
In a separate incident, two men were stopped and searched in the South Shore area, where 11 wraps of a substance believed to be crack cocaine, along with cash and a mobile phone, were found. One of the men, Jack Furr, 21, of Brunswick Street, Nelson, was charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and will appear at Preston Crown Court on March 5. The second man, 20, was arrested on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug and has been released on bail pending further inquiries.
A spokesperson for Project Adder stated, “This was just one of many days of action in targeting those involved in drug dealing and identifying vulnerable individuals who may need support. We’ve made multiple arrests and conducted several stop and searches during this operation.”
Police urge anyone with information about drug dealing in Blackpool to come forward and report it, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in tackling the issue.
