Moment heroic police officer takes down drugs suspect who aims crowbar at his head as Met police take fight to London gangs with week of raids

Published: 19:21, 5 August 2026 | Updated: 19:24, 5 August 2026 A heroic police officer took down a drugs suspect who aimed a crowbar at his head as the Met police conducted a week of raids on London gangs. Two plainclothes officers had stopped the 28-year-old man as he rode a stolen moped in Brixton. Tied to the moped was a carrier bag containing MDMA, cocaine and pink cocaine, a popular cocktail of ketamine, MDMA and caffeine mixed with pink food dye.  Cannabis and £1,500 in cash were also found. As the man ran away, officers chased and cornered him in a car park.  He was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply and grievous bodily harm after he hit an officer in the face with a crowbar. He has since been bailed pending further enquiries. This arrest occurred within the same week as Operation Gallium, a week-long pursuit to tackle gun crime and serious violence, which saw nearly 300 arrests and 38 dangerous weapons seized. It was led by the boroughs with support from specialist crime.  The crackdown across Lambeth and Southwark saw officers execute warrants, conduct stop and searches to remove dangerous drugs and weapons from the streets and apprehend known gang members who had contributed to rising serious youth violence in the area.  Action was taken in Lambeth and Southwark due to a rise in gang-related tensions and a number of serious, high-profile incidents in recent months.  The operation resulted in a total of 297 arrests, culminating in 238 charges for offences including possession of dangerous weapons, possession and supply of Class A drugs and attempted murder. Two hundred and thirty-three stop and searches were carried out, which led to 40 arrests.  Thirteen weapons sweeps took place, contributing to the seizure of 38 dangerous weapons, including knives and firearms.  The Metropolitan Police carried out a major, week-long intelligence-led crackdown on gang violence across the South London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, following a rise in gang tensions and high-profile violent incidents The police found a carrier bag containing MDMA, cocaine and pink cocaine, a popular cocktail of ketamine, MDMA and caffeine mixed with pink food dye after apprehending a 28-year-old man in Brixton  Ten homicides were recorded in Lambeth and Southwark between January 1 and June 3, almost 20 per cent of the 55 people killed in London this year, reports The Times. Knife crime in both boroughs fell 18 per cent in the year to June 30, but gun crime is up 5 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.  There have been several violent incidents in recent weeks. Abdulkadir Mahamed, 22, was fatally stabbed on Tremadoc Road, Clapham, on July 25. Javed Khan, 22, from Wandsworth, has been charged with murder and violent disorder. On the same day, a masked motorist pointed a gun at a man outside a Costcutter in Thessaly Road, Vauxhall. The firearm is believed to have jammed before the suspect fled. Three men aged between 21 and 23 have been charged with the murder of Kamahl Cameron-Williams, 31, on Westow Hill in Crystal Palace on June 21. Keanu Taylor, 25, was attending a barbecue on Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, when he was wounded in a drive-by shooting on May 2. He died two days later.  Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond, who led the week-long operation, said: 'This activity is part of an ongoing campaign to drive down violence and make our neighbourhoods safer. That sustained approach is already delivering results, with knife crime down by 18 per cent across Lambeth and Southwark.  297 arrests were made, resulting in 238 charges (including weapons possession, Class A drug supply, and attempted murder) Led by Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Bond, the operation is part of an ongoing campaign that has helped reduce knife crime by 18% in Lambeth and Southwark 'But we know that despite this success, gangs continue to do harm to London's communities. In recent weeks and months, more families have had to endure the unimaginable pain of losing a loved one to senseless violence. 'We do not want to see another life lost, which is why we're so determined to keep taking robust action. 'Those driving serious violence across London should be under no illusion. We are targeting them relentlessly, and we will use every power available to take weapons, drugs and dangerous offenders off our streets.' Detective Sergeant Phil Morrison, who works on the proactive disruptions unit, said: 'If you want to stop a young person joining a gang, you need to get them before they turn 13. The staple age is from 14 to 17. You don't see them on the streets from 18 or 19... because they're in prison, possibly dead or have found another way of life,' he said. Police described a 15-year-old boy who had eight impending cases, as delays in the justice system have affected how teenage boys are thwarted from gangs. Morrison said: 'How can we intervene post-offence when they are being convicted three years later?' Over the past 18 months, the number of the most serious violent offences has fallen by almost 20 per cent, while lethal gunshot victims have reduced by 27 per cent. Homicides remain at their lowest per capita rate (1.1 per 100,000) on record, at significantly lower levels than other comparable cities.