A bright green Lamborghini sports car was among the items seized by police officers targeting county lines drugs dealers.

Another two cars – both Mercedes – were also found as three residential addresses were raided simultaneously in south London in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

A further warrant was carried out at a commercial premises in south London.

It was a joint operation between the Metropolitan Police and Hampshire Constabulary into a “county line” being run between London and the southern county.

County lines is when organised gangs moving drugs out of urban areas to smaller towns or villages.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and taken to a police station in Hampshire.

Specialist entry equipment was used at one of the residential addresses – Rigby Close in Croydon – because the entrance had been secured with metal bars.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Ant Jones, from the Specialist Crime Command, said: “Investigating and disrupting county lines activity remains a priority for the Met.

“Officers are continuing to carry out intelligence-led operations, even under the current public health crisis, in order to dismantle and disrupt organised criminality and put those breaking the law behind bars.”

Chief Inspector Mark Lynch from Hampshire Constabulary said: “The threat from county lines drug dealing continues to present a significant risk to vulnerable children and adults living within Hampshire, despite the current COVID-19 restrictions the country finds itself in.

“Please be reassured that despite the operational challenges the pandemic poses to us and other front line emergency services, tackling organised crime in all its various guises remains our core focus and operations to disrupt criminals who attempt to profit from drug dealing will continue.

“Not only will we prosecute those found responsible to the full extent of the law, but we will also seek to maximise every opportunity to strip them of their illicit gains.”

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