SIX people, including five teenagers, have been arrested and knives were seized in the latest raid as part of an ongoing operation tackling the drugs trade in Basingstoke.

Officers descended on a home in Paddock Road, South Ham, yesterday as part of Operation Fortress, a campaign by police and other authorities to reduce the harm caused by drugs in Basingstoke.

Five men and a woman were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, while six knives were also seized.

Three of the men were aged 17, one was 18 and the last was aged 19, while the woman was 22.

The six have all been released from custody but remain under investigation.

Chief Inspector Matt Reeves said: “We hope that this reassures residents that we are committed to taking robust action against drug-related crime in our neighbourhoods.

“We do this with the support of the community and our partners, who all help to pass on information that allows us to build a picture of what is really going on.

“We know that drug and knife-related crime has a serious impact on the every day lives of people and we are working hard to make our communities safer.”

Anyone with information about drug or knife-related crime within their community can call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.