Two men have been arrested after police patrols in Mottingham uncovered drugs, an offensive weapon and a suspected stolen vehicle.
The arrests were made on Saturday, 31 October, after officers on reassurance patrols in the area spotted a man driving into an alleyway at Shottery Close.
Officers suspected the man was supplying drugs to people linked to a nearby public house. When they approached him, he became nervous and tried to obstruct a drugs search, police said.
He was arrested on suspicion of obstructing a drugs search, being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B drugs, assaulting an emergency worker, and driving otherwise than in accordance with a driving licence.
Further searches then revealed more drug-related offences, and enquiries led officers to other addresses, where more evidence was found.
A second man was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs and possession of an offensive weapon. Officers also recovered a vehicle believed to have been stolen.
A spokesperson for the safer neighbourhood team said: “This proactive patrol resulted in the recovery of a suspected stolen vehicle and the arrest of two individuals, helping to prevent further crime and keep the local community safe.”
What happens next
An arrest is not a charge. No charging decision has been reported in this case so far, and the two men have not been named. Enquiries are continuing, and any decision on charges will follow once officers have finished their investigation.
That distinction matters: people who are arrested may later be charged, released under investigation, released on bail, or face no further action, depending on what the evidence supports.
The offences explained
The offences the two men were arrested on suspicion of cover different stages of the drugs trade. Being “concerned in the supply” of drugs generally means involvement in getting drugs to users, even without handling the drugs directly, while possession with intent to supply means holding drugs that police believe were meant to be passed on rather than used personally.
Class A drugs include heroin, cocaine and ecstasy, and carry the heaviest penalties; Class B includes cannabis, ketamine and amphetamine. Obstructing a drugs search is a separate offence of interfering with officers carrying out a lawful search, and assaulting an emergency worker covers attacks on police, ambulance and fire staff carrying out their duties.
Possession of an offensive weapon is also a standalone offence, covering items made, adapted or intended to cause injury.
Reporting drug dealing
Anyone with concerns about drug dealing in their area can report it to the Metropolitan Police on 101, online, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police say information from local residents often shapes where reassurance patrols like the one in Mottingham are sent, and that even small details — times, descriptions and vehicle details — can help build a case.
The Mottingham arrests come amid a renewed focus on drug-related crime in the capital. A Home Office campaign against knife crime launched in south London this month, while new figures showed 3,491 knife-crime victims across London over the summer. Separately, a man was charged this week over a double shooting and stabbing in Islington.
Updates on the Mottingham investigation, including any charging decision, will be reported as they emerge.
