Dramatic moment police raid property and discover £20k of illegal drugs, £2k in cash and a handgun

Dramatic footage shows the moment police raided a property - discovering £20,000 of illegal drugs, a viable handgun and £2,400 in cash.

In September last year, police carried out four warrants, including one at a property in St Leonards Road, Northampton, where Jack Root was found in possession of the drugs and cash.

A subsequent search of the property recovered a converted blank firing pistol loaded with home-made ammunition, with tests later establishing the weapon was viable.

Jack Root, 23, of Melbury Place, Northampton, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon, two counts of being concerned in the supply of a Class A drug (heroin and cocaine), possession of an offensive weapon in a private place in relation to a knuckleduster, and possession of a Class B drug (cannabis).

At a court hearing on February 6, Root entered guilty pleas to all charges, and on November 29 he appeared at Northampton Crown Court for sentence, receiving a custodial sentence totalling 11 years and eight months.

Speaking afterwards, Sergeant Scott Garbett of Operation Revive West said: “Our work bringing down those involved in the sale of illegal drugs is vital to protecting and supporting our communities.

“The discovery of an illegally-converted handgun during this investigation illustrates just how dangerous these people are, and I’m pleased we’ve both taken a deadly weapon out of the hands of criminals and also ensured Root faces a substantial prison term that reflects the seriousness of his crimes.”

A 19-year-old Northampton man also convicted in relation to the same investigation received a 20-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years, with a six-month curfew, GPS monitoring and 100 hours of unpaid work.