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  "path": "/2026/02/06/a-single-phone-call-led-police-heart-londons-gang-violence-26722036/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-06T07:00:00.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
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    "supports HTML5 video",
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    "Moment thieves brazenly smash and raid window of family-run jewellers in Richmond",
    "Waymo reveals when Londoners can use its robotaxis",
    "The elite London areas with the largest property discounts in 2025",
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  "textContent": "To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\nIt took just one call about a firearm being seen outside of a secondary school to issue a hammer blow to two of London’s most prolific gangs.\n\nIn raids across 15 addresses in Merton, south London, on a dark and wet morning yesterday, officers made 23 arrests.\n\nMachetes as long as an adult’s forearm were discovered alongside Class A drugs and off-road bikes which are suspected to have been stolen.\n\nOver the last three years, people in the area have been complaining about increasing antisocial behaviour.\n\nE-scooters were being ripped from beneath people’s feet, and balaclava-clad gangs of youths were intimidating residents.\n\nThe officers prepare outside for the raid, which took place in south London yesterday morning (Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\nMet Police at the first property which was allegedly being used by squatters (Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\nTwo gangs which cover the London borough of Merton are at the heart of it all – and all it took was one phone in to help unravel their activity.\n\nDetective Superintendent Ian Campbell told Metro: ‘A firearm was supposedly spotted outside of a secondary school just before Christmas.\n\n‘This led to us piecing together pieces of the puzzle of gang activity, and this morning we have disrupted them.’\n\n## Doors cut down as families slept\n\nA disc cutter being used to beat down the door to one of the homes raided\n(Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\nOfficers filing into the house shortly after (Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\n##  Latest London news\n\n  * Moment thieves brazenly smash and raid window of family-run jewellers in Richmond\n\n  * Waymo reveals when Londoners can use its robotaxis\n\n  * The elite London areas with the largest property discounts in 2025\n\n\n\n_**To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro's** London news hub._\n\nMetro joined the Met Police as they raided homes to tackle gang violence across Merton (Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\n**Metro** joined the Met on their raids, visiting three of the 15 properties which were raided across the borough.\n\nMeeting in a retail park near the first property, hordes of officers dressed head-to-toe in protective gears filled into vans.\n\nThe properties – all residential homes – were being targeted in two waves. The first set were raided at around 5am – the second an hour later.\n\nSome of the buildings were entered by ramming the door down. An officer used a disc cutter to saw away the glass door of another.\n\nNeighbours soon crowded around to watch after the noise shook through the street.\n\n## What was found?\n\nMachetes found at the third property which was allegedly ‘cuckooed’\n(Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\nDrugs officers uncovered during their raid (Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\nControlled medication, which police say their believed to be opioids, discovered at the property (Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\nThe first property, where the squatters were staying, uncovered drugs and e-bikes which were suspected to have been stolen. Officers also found drugs in the second home.\n\nIn total, 15 vacuum sealed packages of cannabis and approximately 100 wraps of Class A drugs were recovered across the 15 properties searched.\n\nThree (unconfirmed but suspected) BB guns, a Taser, a can of CS spray, a samurai sword, ten prohibited weapons, two high-powered surron bikes and £40,0000 in cash were also seized.\n\nFive suspects were arrested on suspicion of modern-day slavery offences owing to the suspicion of child exploitation.\n\n## Cuckooing\n\nA common theme, however, is many of the homes raided were not being used by the actual owners.\n\nIn the first property Metro visited, squatters had allegedly taken over the building. And in the third property we saw, the flat had been ‘cuckoo-ed’.\n\nCuckooing is a term given to a property ‘taken over’ by criminals, who usually target vulnerable homeowners.\n\nThe name is inspired by the cuckoo bird which steals the nests of others.\n\nMet Police searching the outside of one of the properties raided yesterday (Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\nA woman arrested at the scene yesterday (Picture: Nick Edwards)\n\nSup Int Campbell told Metro: ‘Sadly we are seeing it more and more these days. People with learning difficulties or mental health issues are usually targeted, and are treated so callously by the criminals.’\n\nIt can be difficult to truly establish when a home has been cuckooed, but officers take an empathetic approach to any suspected cases.\n\nInspector Kevin Chambers told Metro: ‘We want to be safeguarding and looking after these people who are at risk, not punish them.’\n\nThe flat was given a closure order, which forbids anyone from entering the property for a set period of time.\n\n‘It has already been established as a place for criminal activity, so who is to stop people from just taking it over again?’ said.\n\n‘This way, we can prevent that from happening.’\n\n##  Items recovered from the scene\n\nNumber of arrests: 23\n\nDrugs recovered: 15 vacuum sealed packages of Cannabis, approximately 100 wraps of Class A drugs and 15-20 bottles of Promethazine, which police believe could contain opiods. In addition to this, there was also smaller amount of Class B drugs found.\n\nWeapons seized: Five firearms (three suspected but unconfirmed BB guns, one Taser and one can of CS spray), one Samurai sword and ten prohibited weapons.\n\nCash seized: Approximately £40,000\n\nSafeguarding actions: Five suspects were arrested on suspicion of modern-day slavery offences owing to the suspicion of child exploitation. One of the addresses subjected to a closure notice is a suspected cuckooed address, which aims to prevent the offenders from returning.\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,****check our news page**.\n\nComment now Comments  Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source ",
  "title": "How a single phone call led police to the heart of London’s gang violence"
}