Chiswick Man Charged with Firearms and Drug Offences

Richard Matthews detained after early morning raids in anti-gang crackdown

Police making an arrest during dawn raids on Thursday

A man from Chiswick is one of six people who have been charged with drug related offences after a series of early morning raids this Thursday (12 April).

Richard Matthews, aged 30, of Clovelly Road also faces a charge of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

The arrests came after police launched a series of co-ordinated raids across London as part of a crackdown on violent crime. The raids were reportedly part of an operation targeting a notorious local gang MDP which stands either for 'Money, Drugs Power' or 'Murder Dem Pussies'. This is a west London based gang which police believe has over a hundred members and controls a significant amount of drug supply in the area. Over the past few years they have been linked to a number of shootings and stabbings.

Mr Matthews was charged along with three other adults including 34-year-old Ajamu Preddie of Bollo Bridge Road and two minors aged 14 and 17. They have been charged with two counts of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs between July 2017 and March 2018. The adults have been remanded in custody while the minors have been released on bail. Three other people were arrested but released under investigation.

Warrants were executed at eight addresses with six men and three women, aged between 14 and 49-years-old, arrested for a range of drugs and firearms offences. In addition to the arrests police found a Skorpion machine gun, along with ammunition and seized 2kg of crack cocaine and £50,000 in cash.

Machine gun, hand gun and ammo seized in raids

More than 200 officers from units across the Met took part in the raids which were led by the team from Operation Viper. The arrests were made as part of an intelligence-led, five-month operation targeting a 'violent and sophisticated' gang operating in West London. Raids included properties in Brentford, Greenford, Northolt and Fulham.

Officers used a range of covert and overt tactics to identify and target high-level, violent offenders. The operation was supported by the Trident and Area Crime Command, borough officers and other specialist units, including firearms officers, from across the Met.

Commissioner Cressida Dick, who accompanied officers on the raid in Greenford, said, "Tonight, after some really good, strong work over the last few months, we were in a position to go out and execute warrants in relation to a number of people.

"They are very violent - several of them have a history of violence. One at least is suspected of regularly using firearms and they are being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin.

"Not only have they been, as it appears to us, supplying crack cocaine and heroin but they've been making a huge amount of money doing it.

"They've been using violence, they've been exploiting vulnerable people and very young people, as young as 14, have been engaged in the drug dealing operation, so they need to be locked up.

"People like this, who may appear to have been operating with impunity for a period of time, cause devastation and fear. It sends a very strong signal to the public, who are very supportive in the police in these sorts of operations, that we are putting a lot of effort into carrying out work like this."

April 15, 2018