Police have warned drug dealers they are coming for them as they made TWENTY-ONE arrests in a series of raids.

And officers seized £140,000 worth of drugs following the early morning raids which saw a special team of officers target suspects’ homes.

Some of those involved have also been arrested in connection with firearms incidents in the area.

The operation began more than three months ago in June when officers started to gather evidence of criminality in the Kirklees district around drug production and supply.

Man arrested in Fitzwilliam Street drugs raid

It saw officers being supported by armed police, the force dog section and officers from across West Yorkshire including Wakefield and Bradford.

Eighteen addresses across Huddersfield were visited including properties in Crosland Moor , Marsh, Lindley, Almondbury, Paddock, Milnsbridge and Birkby.

The Examiner was invited along to see the operation at first hand and our reporter, Robert Sutcliffe and photographer Simon Morley, witnessed the arrests that followed.

Suspects were given only seconds warning before they awoke to the sound of their front doors being battered open and officers in helmets rushed in.

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The operation took place over three days this week and the Examiner agreed to a news black-out until all the arrests were made.

Early morning commuters, schoolchildren and lollipop men and women watched as a convoy of police vans arrived and began their carefully-planned operations.

Some suspects, often semi-naked, walked into the waiting police vans without a struggle while others put up a fight. That was the case of a suspect in Hops Drive, Birkby.

Seventeen people were arrested for offences of conspiracy to produce and supply Class B drugs, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and public order offences.

Police officers take away a suspect from a property in Hops Drive, Birkby.

All have been released pending further investigation.

A further four people were arrested prior to the arrest operation who have also been released pending further enquiries.

During the operation, a significant amount of drugs and cash were seized from the properties including £134,000 of Class A drugs and £7,000 of Class B drugs and £11,000 in cash.

Det Chief Insp Tony Nicholson, of Kirklees CID, said: “We have carried out a highly successful three-day operation throughout Kirklees in relation to a number of offences.

“Overall, a total of 21 people have been arrested for various offences including a number of drugs offences and in connection with recent firearms incidents in the district.

Police enter a property in Marsh.

“My message to everybody in Kirklees is that we will not tolerate firearms and drugs on our streets and, to those who are involved in this type of criminality, we will come for you.

“This was an intelligence-led operation and it is important that we work with our communities and partners to identify, arrest and convict anyone who is involved in any kind of crime that involves drugs or firearms.

“Anyone with any information is urged to contact Kirklees CID via 101 or alternatively information can be passed to Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”