A driver who attempted to avoid a police road safety checkpoint in Southend was arrested after officers discovered more than 50 bags of suspected drugs inside his vehicle.
The arrest took place during an Essex Police Vision Zero operation on London Road on Wednesday 16 September 2026, when officers were also dealing with 95 traffic offences.
Police were carrying out checks outside the former Nazareth House building when a driver spotted the enforcement site and began reversing away.
Officers followed the vehicle and stopped it further along London Road.
A subsequent search uncovered more than 50 individual bags of suspected drugs, while a roadside drug test returned a positive indication.
A man was arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply and drug driving.
Essex Police has not confirmed the type of suspected drugs recovered or announced any charges arising from the arrest.
Police uncover 95 traffic offences in Southend
The checkpoint formed part of Vision Zero, a partnership initiative aiming to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on Essex roads by 2040 or sooner.
Officers focused on dangerous driving behaviour, vehicle safety and offences that increase the risk of serious collisions.
Among the results were:
- 30 tickets for using a mobile phone while driving.
- 26 tickets for failing to wear a seatbelt.
- 11 number plate offences, including eight involving altered or incorrectly displayed plates.
- Three vehicles seized for having no insurance.
- Two drivers reported for driving otherwise than in accordance with their licence.
- Two drivers reported for having no insurance.
- Two tickets issued for vehicle defects relating to MOT requirements.
- Two eyesight tests carried out.
In total, Essex Police recorded 95 traffic offences during the operation.
The enforcement activity targeted what police call the Fatal Five: speeding, drink or drug driving, mobile phone use, failure to wear a seatbelt and careless or dangerous driving.
These behaviours are among the major contributing factors in serious and fatal road collisions.
Essex Police continues crackdown on drug dealing in Southend
The latest arrest comes amid continued efforts by Essex Police to disrupt drug dealing, county lines networks and organised criminal activity across Southend.
Operation Raptor, the force’s specialist county lines enforcement team, targets criminal networks responsible for supplying drugs into Essex, including those operating across county boundaries.
County lines networks frequently use dedicated mobile phone numbers to arrange drug sales, with criminal groups sometimes exploiting vulnerable adults and children to transport or distribute drugs.
In May 2025, Essex Police worked with other forces to target a suspected drug supply network known as the ‘Mali’ line, which was linked to the distribution of crack cocaine and heroin in Southend.
Officers executed six warrants in Luton, making seven arrests and recovering more than £24,000 in cash, alongside a handgun and ammunition.
The operation was part of an investigation into drug dealing, violence and the exploitation of vulnerable people: Southend cocaine supply line shut down, handgun seized and arrests made.
More recently, in March 2026, Essex Police reported that specialist teams working across the county had made 58 arrests, dismantled 37 drug lines and seized more than 23kg of drugs since the beginning of the year.
The figures covered Essex as a whole, with Southend among the areas targeted during the enforcement activity.
Drug dealers jailed following Southend investigations
Police have also secured prison sentences against people involved in drug supply in Southend.
In March 2026, William Innes and Daniel Summers were jailed following an investigation into a Class A drug supply network.
The case began when officers stopped a Mercedes on Shoebury Road in December 2025 and discovered cocaine later assessed as having a potential street value of up to £14,700.
In another case, a drug dealer who attempted to escape police on an electric bike through Southend was sentenced to two years in prison in September 2026.
Klavi Likcani, 21, was pursued by neighbourhood officers before being arrested. Police recovered evidence of drugs being discarded during the pursuit.
He pleaded guilty to possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply and driving offences.
These investigations demonstrate how Essex Police uses neighbourhood patrols, specialist drug teams and vehicle stops to identify suspected dealers and disrupt criminal networks operating in the city.
Road policing helping uncover wider criminality
The September Vision Zero arrest is not the first time a Southend road safety operation has uncovered suspected drug dealing.
During Operation Limit on 4 July 2026, Essex Police made 20 arrests, including 17 for suspected drug driving.
Officers also recorded 198 speeding offences, issued 97 traffic offence reports and seized 12 vehicles.
One vehicle search uncovered a substantial quantity of cannabis, leading to an arrest on suspicion of possession with intent to supply.
The latest Vision Zero operation highlights how checks initially aimed at road safety can also uncover suspected drug supply and other criminal activity.
Anyone with information about suspected drug dealing in Southend can report concerns to Essex Police online or by calling 101. In an emergency, call 999.