OFFICERS have arrested two people – including one in Southend – for possession of Class A drugs as police fired a warning to dealers of illegal substances.

The force’s operational support group made the arrests on Friday when Essex Police’s road policing unit stopped a driver and arrested them for class A drug possession and driving without insurance.

Officers made a second arrest the same day during a patrol in Southend when a driver was stopped and had their vehicle searched by police.

They uncovered several wraps of illegal substances and arrested the driver on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

Superintendent Phil Stinger said: “Taking drugs off the county’s streets is a priority for us – the work of our officers yesterday did exactly that.

“The message is clear: if you commit crime in Essex, you can expect to be arrested and yesterday’s activity highlights our commitment to bringing suspects into custody.

“Our work to further investigations and protect the public continues each and every day and the public can expect us to make more arrests today, tomorrow and every day.”

According to the Office for National Statistics, 5,464 drugs offences were recorded by Essex Police across the county in 2023, down from 5,929 the year before.