Suspected drug dealing phone discovered when bath started vibrating

When officers burst into a flat in Heygate Avenue, Southend, through the front and back doors they spotted someone running upstairs and into the bathroom.

They followed and searched the room, but were initially unable to find anything suspicious.

The officers were about to leave when the bath suddenly started to shake.

The phone, believed to be used by dealers to contact class A drug users, had been hidden underneath and left on the vibrate setting.

During the raid, officers also found £400 worth of crack cocaine and heroin, £200 cash and small bags used to store the drugs.

The warrant was carried out by officers from Operation Raptor, a unit set up to tackle drug-dealing gangs across south Essex.

PC Adam Blackwell, from the team, said: "As we went into the property, one of the occupants ran up to the bathroom and they hid a drug dealer phone under the bath.

"We found it because it was vibrating underneath the bath.

"There was also a drug dealing kit left on the side in the kitchen, which included cash, other mobile phones and drugs."

Three people have been arrested in connection with Wednesday night's raid.

A 20-year-old man from Westcliff, a 32-year-old woman from Southend and a 51-year-old man from Southend were all arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

They were taken to Rayleigh police station for questioning, where they remained in custody at the time the Echo went to print.

The Operation Raptor team aims to tackle drug gangs by acting on intelligence to stop check suspected dealers and execute search warrants at premises thought to be linked to dealing.

It was set up earlier this year to replace two tactical teams in Basildon and Southend following a force restructure.

Anyone with suspicions about people drug dealing can call the Operation Raptor team on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Crimestoppers can also be contacted via crimestoppers-uk.org