Chelmsford: 17-year-old arrested as knife and drugs seized

A young man has been arrested after a knife and drugs were seized in Chelmsford.

We were alerted to an incident, outside a venue in Rainsford Road, shortly after 10pm on Friday 9 August.

It was reported that a young man was seen with what was described to us as a machete.

Units were quickly sent to the scene and quick work by numerous officers identified a potential person of interest.

Officers arrived at an address linked to that person and witnessed a man leave and get into a car after placing items in the boot.

That car was then subsequently stopped by police and searched.

In the boot, officers found a large knife and a quantity of what’s believed to be Class A and Class B drugs.

A young man aged 17 and from Chelmsford was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A and Class B drugs, possession with intent to supply Class A and Class B drugs and possession of an offensive weapon.

He has been released on conditional bail, including to remain at his home between 11pm and 7am daily. All conditions will be monitored.

The items located in the boot of the car have been seized and will be destroyed.

Detective chief inspector Nathan Hutchinson said:

“The speed at which officers in Chelmsford were able to identify a suspect meant that any threat posed was quickly and effectively stopped.
“Tackling knife crime and its devastating impact is priority for us – as well as our partners and we work determinedly to bring perpetrators of it to justice.
“We know those people most at risk of either perpetrating knife crime or being a victim of it are young, often aged between ten and 19-years-old. That’s why it is so important not only to react when reports of a weapon being seen come in, but to be proactive in our approach.
“That approach is working in Essex and it’s driving down knife crime, but one incident is always one too many and we’ll continue to work with our partners across all sectors, including in local authorities and through the Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit.”

Are you worried that a friend or someone you know may be being exploited through County Lines or organised criminal activity?

Maybe they are returning home late, staying out all night or even going missing for days or weeks at a time.

Are they suddenly being secretive about who they are talking to or where they are going?

Or perhaps you’ve noticed they have large amounts of money on them, or new clothing, jewellery or phones they wouldn’t be able to afford.

Through Fearless, young people can pass on information 100% anonymously to get help.

If you need help from police, call 101 or, if it's an emergency, always call 999.

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