Drugs seized and suspect arrested during operation at Tonbridge Railway Station

A wanted suspect was arrested and quantities of drugs were recovered following enforcement action at Tonbridge Railway Station.

A man wanted in connection with a violent assault was identified and taken into custody during checks in and around the station by uniformed and plain clothed officers, where several on the spot fines were also issued for cannabis possession.

The operation took place during the evening of Friday 21 February 2020 and was assisted by specially trained police dogs at the station’s entrance and exit barriers to detect anyone suspected of carrying illegal substances.

In total, 18 people were searched.  The arrested man, 19, from Sevenoaks, was detained by police at the scene and taken to Tonbridge police station where he was later released pending further investigation.

On the spot fines were given to four people stopped and found in possession of cannabis. One other received a formal warning. Twenty-three people also received penalties for fare evasion.

The enforcement action was supported by railway employees.

Sergeant Ash Boxall of the Tonbridge Community Policing Team said: ‘We continue to work closely with railway enforcement officers and neighbouring police forces to prevent and disrupt violent crime in your local area through initiatives like this one. Operations of this kind can be used to deter all sorts of criminals from the streets of Kent, including those who carry weapons.

‘I am pleased that it enabled us to locate a man wanted in connection with a violent crime.

‘Drug use, no matter how big or small, fuels crime. Our dogs can detect people who have been using illegal substances as well as carrying them. Anyone who is considering carrying drugs or using drugs before heading out should ask themselves – is it really worth the risk? As a force, we will continue to run operations like this in the future to keep our communities safe.’