“THERE’S not a moment you can close your eyes or go to sleep” is the message for drug dealers from the Dorset Police Chief Constable, after four people were arrested during a raid in Boscombe.

As part of the newly launched Operation Viper, Dorset Police is focussing on tackling county lines drug operations in the county.

On Thursday, nearly a dozen officers raided two flats in Boscombe and arrested four people who were asleep on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.

READ MORE: Police raid Boscombe flat and make four arrests for drug offences

Chief Constable Scott Chilton and Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick attended the raid in Windsor Road.

Mr Chilton told the Daily Echo: “Early indications are that [the raid] has been a really positive result.

“It’s the sort of action that Dorset Police will be conducting. I made it really clear, it’s my priority to be tough on crime, targeting the dealers and I think today’s a really good example of us showing where we’ll do that and making sure we tell the community what we’re doing.

“People need to trust in what we say. It’s absolutely important they tell us where they’ve got information or intelligence about dealers in their area and we’ll target them.

“It’s about making sure we keep people safe and being tough on crime.”

Mr Chilton praised the team who conducted the operation, stating he wasn’t surprised it went well.

He said the four arrested, one woman and three men, would be taken into custody and interviewed and a decision would then be made with the CPS about any charges.

“The message is really clear,” he continued.

“There’s not a moment where you can close your eyes, go to sleep and think police won’t go through your door, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

“We’re reliant on the community telling us what their concerns are, that information is absolutely crucial.

“Today was an example, we were one step ahead, there’ll be another one tomorrow and we’ll continue.”

PCC David Sidwick said: “This is what we need to do more of. Operation Viper is now our Dorset solution to try get drugs off our streets, get the violence, and the pain they bring with them out of Dorset.

“We have made investments to make this happen, I am very, very pleased because we promised people we’d use their money to do this.

“One of things that is really important, is we have this link. We have this link with the national crime agencies to stop the importation, they’re trying to round up Bond villains.

“We’ve now got, in the south west, a regional solution, and we’ve now got a Dorset solution.

“A county lines taskforce and the neighbourhood enforcement teams, with Operation Viper, taking it into the communities and taking the poison off our streets and reduce antisocial behaviour, acquisitive crime and the violence and exploitation of our children and other vulnerable people which is occurring from these criminals.”