Hard drugs with a street value of over £150,000 were seized during July in the latest of a series of police operations aimed at ridding the borough of serious drug crime.

Six crack houses operating in Croydon were put out of business as a result of the raids in which 33 people were arrested, eleven of whom were charged with supply or intent to supply class A drugs including crack cocaine, heroin and ecstasy.

Detective Inspector Phil Kaye, who leads Croydon's drugs team, said seizures of less harmful drugs including cannabis also resulted in five arrests and charges for supply and intent to supply.

He said the knock-on effect of continuing to push against hard drugs will be lower burglary and car crime rates because there will be fewer people being driven to crime to fuel their drug addictions.

Other arrests led to charges including drug possession and forged or stolen driving licences and passports. There was one deportation of an illegal Jamaican immigrant.

The blitz was carried out by officers over four weeks, the culmination of investigations which intensify four times a year under the remit of a special operation called Crackdown, led by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

DI Kaye said the six houses used for dealing crack were in areas including Thornton Heath, West Croydon and South Croydon and had since been boarded up and identified with police posters.

He said: “We have previously been thanked by residents when they have seen the notices we put up saying this crack house has been closed down.”

Some of the raids were prompted by residents telling police where they saw suspicious activity going on.

A council spokesman said the council will not hesitate to bring possession proceedings against tenants convicted of drugs offences.

Advice will be dealt with in confidence and as a matter of urgency through Croydon's task force on 020 8761 1212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.