MORE than 100 people have been arrested and drugs worth tens of thousands of pounds seized during a week-long police operation targeting dealers across the South West.

Operation Scorpion 15, which ran between June 22 and 28, resulted in 103 arrests as officers recovered more than 5kg of Class A drugs, 24kg of cannabis, £81,747 in cash, four firearms and eight weapons. Spice, ketamine, MDMA and amphetamine were also seized during the coordinated crackdown.

Police also safeguarded 16 adults and children as part of the operation, which focused on tackling drug supply and associated criminality in pubs, clubs and other parts of the night-time economy.

The operation brought together Avon and Somerset Police, Devon and Cornwall Police, Dorset Police, Gloucestershire Constabulary and Wiltshire Police, alongside the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit and British Transport Police.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman, the operational lead for Operation Scorpion 15, said the latest phase of the campaign had once again demonstrated the benefits of coordinated policing across force boundaries.

He said: ‘Operation Scorpion is an established and proven initiative, now in its fifteenth iteration, designed to make the South West a hostile environment for drug dealers and those involved in associated criminality.

‘Each phase of the operation continues to deliver strong results, with OS15 maintaining that track record of success through coordinated enforcement and intelligence-led activity’.

Throughout the week, officers carried out intelligence-led enforcement alongside high-visibility patrols in towns and cities across the region, targeting the supply and use of illegal drugs within the night-time economy.

Police said the operation was designed not only to disrupt drug trafficking but also to reduce the violence, exploitation and anti-social behaviour linked to illegal drug use. Officers worked with partners including street pastors, venue security staff, taxi marshals and support services to identify and safeguard vulnerable people.

As part of the operation, officers also referred some people found in possession of drugs for personal use to diversion and support programmes, reflecting a broader approach combining enforcement with prevention and rehabilitation.

In Devon and Cornwall, officers executed seven warrants and carried out 19 visits to licensed premises. One of the operation's most significant seizures saw around 2kg of spice recovered in Exeter, with an estimated street value of £44,000. Officers also seized £8,000 in cash.

Detective Constable Nick Burnett, Devon and Cornwall Police's Drugs Liaison Officer, said the seizure would prevent a dangerous drug from reaching users.

He said: ‘Spice is a particularly dangerous synthetic cannabinoid.

‘Depending on its chemical structure, the effects can last between one and six hours and can leave the user wanting more and taking larger doses.

‘Spice was designed to mimic cannabis, but synthetic cannabinoids can overstimulate the serotonin system, which can lead to high fever, rapid pulse, confusion, convulsions, organ failure and ultimately death.

‘It is very satisfying that this large amount has been taken out of circulation and now cannot end up being sold on the streets or in the night-time economy’.

Police said Operation Scorpion remains a key part of efforts to disrupt organised crime groups, remove drugs from communities and improve public safety across the South West.