Over 3,000 premises raided in London

In one of the biggest police operations to date, more than 3,000 police officers were involved in weekend raids on pubs, clubs and shops in London recently in an attempt to curb breaches of various licensing legislations there resulting in 248 arrests, according to a police spokesman.

Some 3,042 premises were inspected in the operation which found 317 breaches of the law. 140 cadets were also used to perform test purchases in London retail outlets in a sting operation to detect illegal sales of alcohol, cigarettes and knives.

The 48-hour crackdown, named Operation Condor, was led by Commander Mak Chishty who explained the rationale behind the raids, “In our shops and supermarkets this means people do not sell knives, harmful substances or alcohol to young people; in our pubs and clubs it means that alcohol is sold and consumed in a responsible way; on our roads it means that vehicles, such as taxis are properly licensed and safe.”

The swoops saw 12 pubs and clubs closed in London over the weekend as police checked licensed premises for drug-taking, underage sales and other illegal activities.