A 22-year-old man has been jailed after police busted into his flat on the Isle of Dogs and discovered firearms and a room full of cannabis growing in his bedroom.

East London Advertiser: Jailed... Luke N�Jie for posessing firearm, ammunition and intemnt to supply cannabis. Pictures: Met Police[inset]/Mike BrookeJailed... Luke N�Jie for posessing firearm, ammunition and intemnt to supply cannabis. Pictures: Met Police[inset]/Mike Brooke (Image: Archant)

The raid on the fifth floor apartment at Qarterdeck in Millwall was part of a three-day operation by Tower Hamlets Gangs Unit across London’s East End.

Luke N’Jie was jailed for six years yesterday at Snaresbrook Crown court after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm, ammunition and intent to supply cannabis.

He was arrested with his girlfriend Lucy Olley, 21, at The Quarterdeck on March 23, 2016.

Olley was sentenced at the same hearing to six months, suspended for a year, after admitting money laundering.

Officers from the Gangs Unit searched the premises and found a revolver, ammunition and half a kilo of cannabis, as well as £6,500 cash which was subsequently forfeited.

East London Advertiser: The dawn raid took place in March last year. Picture: ELAThe dawn raid took place in March last year. Picture: ELA (Image: Isabel Infantes)

“This operation has resulted in a potentially lethal firearm being removed from circulation,” Pc Jon Privett from the Gangs Unit said.

“N’Jie will now spend a significant period of time behind bars.

“This conviction sends a message to those who harbour firearms that they’ll be arrested and put before the courts.”

N’Jie claimed at the time that he was only storing the items for someone else, but then refused to elaborate when questioned in custody and instead answered “no comment” when asked for details, Scotland Yard said after yesterday’s sentencing.

Officers in last year’s raid, witnessed by the East London Advertiser, found plants being grown in pots on the bedroom floor under daylight arc-lights connected to the mains and surrounded by reflective foil.

East London Advertiser: Arrest after raid at Millwall in Operation Ketjak on March 23, 2016Arrest after raid at Millwall in Operation Ketjak on March 23, 2016 (Image: Isabel Infantes (on shift))

A couple asleep on a mattress on the floor of the living room woken up by the raid were arrested and led off to a waiting police van.

They were among the 34 people arrested over three days in ‘Operation Ketjak’ targeting 37 suspects at addresses across east London.

Det Chief Insp Lee Hill told the Advertiser during the dawn raids: “This operation has taken out a criminal network which can’t operate effectively now. The network of drugs has been dismantled to the point where they can no longer function properly.”

Police also uncovered an illicit “cannabis factory” at one location and recovered 1,000 wraps of Class A crack cocaine at other addresses, with a £10,000 ‘street’ value.

“Busting in like this is part of our tactics with the element of surprise,” Chief Insp Hill explained.

“We need to enter as quickly as possible to secure the evidence. There’s always a danger that we might lose the evidence if we don’t get in quickly.”

Police later charged 22 people with offences including N’Jie and his girlfriend Olley at Millwall’s Quarterdeck.

They had earlier obtained search warrants from magistrates, once they had enough evidence in the operation that had been running three months. The warrants gave police legal powers to bust in without an invitation.