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Ch Supt Mark Powell talks
about raids so far

Three people picked the wrong day
to shoplift - they chose the exact moment a large police team
arrived to update shoppers on a day of raids.

The day of action across Kent and
Essex also saw a visible police presence in Gravesend and Dartford
to meet the public and speak to shoppers.

Just as a team of officers arrived with a mobile police
station in Gravesend’s New Road, security guards from nearby stores
dashed out to report they had detained three men, suspecting them
of shoplifting.

The three were arrested.

There was also a disturbance in
Gravesend town centre as an argument erupted between a large group
of Eastern Europeans, with officers speaking to both parties who
were shouting insults at each other.

Kent Police’s day of action began
early today with arrest warrants being executed across Dartford and
Gravesend from 7am.

Police have recovered a motorbike,
stolen two weeks ago and seized a car in Dartford suspected of
being used to commit a crime.

Officers also stopped a man on the
A2, driving a car with a bent door. The driver explained his car
had suffered an attempted break in last night.

In north Kent 20 people have been
arrested on suspicion of a range of offences including criminal
damage, handling stolen goods and cultivating cannabis.

They are now being interviewed in police custody and
work to secure witness statement, CCTV and forensic evidence will
begin.

It is the first major operation
headed up by Ch Supt Mark Powell(pictured top right) the new
area commander for north Kent.

He said: "Operations like this send
a really clear message to the public that police are here to help
and bring offenders to justice. To report that 20 people have been
arrested is a testament to the team and the quality of support we
get from the public.

"Without people telling us their
concerns we wouldn’t be able to do what we did today and we are
really pleased with the results."

Arrests across Kent include:

A 37 year old man from Canterbury
arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and cultivation of
cannabis.

A 19 year old man from Gravesend was arrested on suspicion of
breach of bail conditions and interfering/tampering with motor
vehicles. Now charged and bailed to court.

A 53 year old man from Rochester arrested on suspicion of burglary
offences.

A 17 year old boy from Gravesend arrested on suspicion of money
laundering

A 35 year old man from Gravesend arrested on suspicion of
fraud

A 43 year old woman from Dartford arrested on suspicion of
assault

A 36 year old man from Dartford arrested on suspicion of criminal
damage

A 14 year old boy from Tunbridge Wells arrested on suspicion of
theft of a motor vehicle

A 19 year old man from Dartford was arrested and interviewed in
relation to a shoplifting offence

A 30 year old man from Dartford arrested on suspicion of theft and
cultivation of cannabis

A 28 year old woman from Dartford arrested on suspicion of theft
and cultivation of cannabis

A 24 year old woman from Greenhithe arrested on suspicion of
harassment

A 21 year old man from Swanley, arrested on suspicion of theft of a
motor vehicle

A 25 year old woman from Folkestone arrested in relation to revoke
of licence

A 46 year old man from Gravesend arrested on suspicion of
possessing a false passport

A 54 year old man from Chatham arrested on suspicion of cultivation
of cannabis.

A 42 year old woman from Gravesend, arrested on suspicion of
theft

A 39 year old woman from Swanley, arrested on suspicion of driving
off without paying for fuel

See tomorrow's Gravesend
and Dartford Messengers for a full round up of all the
raids.