A HAUL of drugs worth £24,000 on the street has been seized by police after a raid was carried out on a Basildon home.

Officers from the drugs gang squad, codenamed Operation Raptor, executed a search warrant at a flat in Nelson Road at about 11am on Friday.

Inside the flat, officers found £20,000 worth of cannabis, £3,000 worth of cocaine and £1,000 worth of crack cocaine and heroin.

Police also seized £1,200 in cash and 100 items of drugs paraphernalia.

Three men were also arrested and taken into custody.

Sgt Ben Woollard, from Operation Raptor, said that his team rely heavily on information from members of the public before carrying out these types of warrants.

He said: “This was a successful warrant for Operation Raptor where we have seized about £24,000 worth of class A and B drugs, which were due to be dealt in the local area.

“This could have led to increased criminality in the community, so it is fantastic that we found these drugs and seized them before they made their way onto the streets.

“It is hugely important to have confidence in the police when they suspect any criminal activity and to report it, so that appropriate action can be taken.”

The drugs were bagged up and sent off for analysis. They will later be destroyed.

Dandy Ugbalese, 23, of Luncies Road, Basildon, Mwangata Bulaya, 21, of Malyons Mews, Pitsea, and Thomas Withers, 21, of Stagden Cross, Basildon, have been charged with possession with intent to supply.

They were remanded in custody and will next appear at a crown court in either Chelmsford or Basildon for a plea and trial preparation hearing on Friday, April 21.

Operation Raptor carries out proactive patrols, stop checks on vehicles and search warrants on homes.

Last year, Essex Police announced that drugs with an estimated street value of more than £2million have been taken off the streets of Essex since the launch of Operation Raptor.

The team rely on intelligence to carry out raids of homes and are urging people to contact them if they have any suspicions.

Anyone with information about drug activity in Basildon can call Essex Police on 101, or crimefighting charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

An online form can be submitted via crimestoppers-uk.org