UK: Cops raid 'hash cafe'

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UK: Cops raid 'hash cafe'

Ben Ashford

South London Press

Tuesday 12 Apr 2005

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DOPEY dealers set up an alleged cannabis cafe - just yards from a police

station.

The Amsterdam-style smokers' den was said to be based in a popular South

London restaurant which pulls in hundreds of customers a week.

Smokers could place their order at the counter before heading to a comfy

basement lounge to savour their stash, it is claimed.

Drug officers say they found portions of the drug packaged and ready for

sale alongside tasty snacks and pastries.

The alleged racket, based in Agadir restaurant and kebab shop in Streatham

High Road, went up in smoke when cops working 100 yards away became

suspicious.

Officers with sniffer dogs and full riot gear stormed the premises last

Tuesday and seized hundreds of pounds of suspected cannabis.

A number of customers were allegedly caught with the class-C narcotic inside.

Chief Inspector Alastair Sutherland, of Streatham police, told the South

London Press: "From the intelligence received, we suspected the venue was

regularly being used for the supply of controlled drugs.

"We had a duty to put a stop to this.

"A substantial quantity of what appears to be cannabis resin was found on

the premises."

Since the bust, leaflets have been distributed among nearby homes and

businesses by police, keen to reassure residents that cops have not gone

soft on cannabis.

The chief inspector added: "The Amsterdam-style cafe culture is not

tolerated in British law and will not be tolerated in Streatham."

Four arrests were made during the bust. One man was arrested on suspicion

of dealing cannabis while another was arrested for allegedly allowing the

drug to be smoked on his premises.

Another man was arrested for possession of the drug and theft, and a

further arrest was made over a stolen driving licence. No charges had been

brought as went to press.