Three men charged following investigation into suspected hazardous batch of class A drugs in Watford

Police investigating a possible hazardous batch of class A drugs circulating in Watford have made further arrests and seized a substance believed to be a powerful synthetic opioid.

Earlier this month, a warning was issued to the community after several people had suffered medical episodes in the town, after possibly taking synthetic opioids under the guise of heroin.

Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious and Organised Crime Team has been investigating a particular drugs line believed to be involved in the supply of illegal drugs like these.

During a proactive operation on Wednesday (20 March), officers seized substances believed to be class A drugs and forensic work is ongoing to establish the presence or otherwise of synthetic opioids classified as Nitazenes - which could lead to overdose, cardiac arrest or potentially death. Three men were also arrested.

They were charged and appeared before Hatfield Remand Court on Friday (22 March) in connection with this investigation. At this stage of the inquiry there is no evidence to directly link those arrested to the medical episodes in the town.

• Daniel Harlley, aged 28, of Vicarage Road, Watford, has been charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He has been remanded into custody.
• Deejay Evans, aged 21, of Fairlawn Close, Feltham, has been charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He has been remanded into custody.
• Yannick Lomete, aged 29, of Pickard Street, London, has been charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs. He has been released on court bail with conditions.

A man and a woman who were previously arrested as part of the investigation, remain on police bail.

Detective Inspector Grant Finnie, from the Serious Crime Investigation Unit, said: “We have been working hard to identify the source of what we believe to be a hazardous batch of drugs that has been circulating in Watford. I hope the news that we have located a substance and removed it from the streets of Watford, provides some reassurance to the local community.

“However, I would still urge people who may use these drugs to be cautious and make an informed decision. It is a reality that we are seeing an increase in the use of these synthetic drugs and although we have taken some Nitazenes and other class A drugs off the street, it is our responsibility to warn members of the public that there may still be some with the dangerous substance in circulation. We continue to try and trace any remaining hazardous drugs.”

The County Community Safety Unit, which is a joint police and county council team, is offering the following advice:

• Go low and slow - Be extra cautious about the sources from which you get your drugs, and about the drugs you are taking; maybe starting with just a quarter hit of a new supply.
• Do not use alone: make sure that someone you trust is present and equipped with a couple of naloxone kits.
• If using with others, it’s best if only one person uses the drug first and uses less as a test dose.
• Don't mix drugs: Using more than one drug increases your risks of overdose, including mixing with alcohol.
• Naloxone won’t work on non-opiate drugs but it’s always worth having kits available anyway. If in doubt you can use naloxone in any overdose situation. There have been reports of increased doses of Naloxone needed when drugs contain synthetic opioids.
• Look after your friends: look out for the signs of an overdose, e.g. loss of consciousness, shallow or absent breathing, ‘snoring’ or loud ‘rasping’, and/or blue lips or fingertips.
• Be prepared to call immediately for an ambulance if you suspect someone has overdosed.

For further support and advice, visit the Spectrum (opens in a new window), Talk To Frank (opens in a new window) or Hertfordshire County Council’s (opens in a new window) websites.

If you have any information about the supply of class A drugs in Watford, you can report it online, use online web chat or call the non-emergency number 101.

Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form (opens in a new window).