Seventeen men charged with drugs offences following a Scotland Yard operation into an alleged organised distribution network in East London, Essex and Hertfordshire were due in court today.

East London Advertiser: Trident East unit backed by Met's Taskforce and Territorial Support Group carry out arrests in east London, Essex and Hertfordshire. Picture: Met PoliceTrident East unit backed by Met's Taskforce and Territorial Support Group carry out arrests in east London, Essex and Hertfordshire. Picture: Met Police (Image: MPS)

Arrests were carried out by the Met’s Trident East unit based at Bethnal Green backed up by a taskforce and its Territorial Support Group.

The December 2 arrests were made at 13 addresses in Bethnal Green, Stepney Green, Poplar and Limehouse, with others in Camden Town, two in Essex at Grays, near Tilbury, and at Colchester and one in Hertfordshire at Sawbridgeworth.

The men, all aged between 19 and 26, have been charged with conspiracy to supply drugs.

They include 10 from Bethnal Green alone: Mohammed Azad, 26, and Imran Ahmed, 22, both from Old Bethnal Green Road, Foysal Haque, 19, from Ellsworth Street, Fahim Ahmed, 22, from Lark Row off Vyner Street, Mohammed Eamon Ahmed, 25, from Roberta Street, Mohammed Riad Ahmed, 26, from Roberta Street, Mohammed Islam, 21, from Pelter Street off Columbia Road, Mohammed Samad, 22, from Baroness Road also off Columbia Road, and two living off Turin Street, Shakir Ahmed, 22, from Dence House and Mohammed Haque, 23, from Lorden Walk.

Another three arrested in the East End and charged were Alamin Islam, 20, from Mackrow Walk off Robin Hood Lane in Poplar, Abu Hamza Khan, 20, from Thomas Road in Limehouse, and Mohammed Rihaad, 24, from Mile End Road in Stepney Green.

Another charged is from north London, Joyaned Ahmed, 26, from Greenland Road in Camden Town, while two more are from Essex, Riz Khan, 22, from Rectory Road in Grays, and Fattah Al-Hussain, 25, from East Street in Colchester. The last man charged is from Hertfordshire, Mohammed Rahman, 23, of Lawrence Avenue in Sawbridgeworth.

They were all due to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court today, December 3. The arrests and charges were carried out under the Met’s ongoing Operation Continuum that’s been running for more than two years based at Bethnal Green.