A week-long Met Police operation in Wembley has led to dozens of arrests, vehicle seizures, and weapon recoveries.
The force arrested 32 people as part of an operation conducted in the north-west London area to tackle neighbourhood crime.
The offences included possession with intent to supply drugs, possession of offensive weapons, shoplifting and robbery.
One of the arrests saw the rider of a moped hand over a small quantity of Class B drugs. A later search revealed a larger quantity of drugs concealed in the lining of the vehicle.
The operation also saw plain clothes officers carrying out licensing visits at 27 retail premises, with seven premises failing checks after selling alcohol to under-18s.
Police cadets were sent into shops in Wembley as part of the test-purchase exercise.
Sixty-four vehicles including illegal e-bikes and scooters were also seized as Met officers carried out checks at traffic stop sites.
Illegal e-bikes have come under scrutiny in recent months due to their link with anti-social behaviour and criminal activity. The Met first launched its crackdown on illegal bikes in December last year.
The Met also recovered five knives.
The force has reported a decrease in neighbour crime in comparison to last year. Theft from the person is reported to have fallen by 22 per cent according to the Met, while bicycle theft has fallen by eight per cent, and business burglary by 14 per cent.
The Met is also rolling out retail crime technology, which has led to more than one in five shoplifting offences resulting in arrest, charge, or conviction.
Shoplifting in London has fallen by around four per cent since last year.
Chief Inspector Yu Zhang, who led the operation, said: “This week of action deliberately targeted the crimes that local people tell us matter most – from retail crime and drug offence to the illegal and reckless use of illegal e‑bikes.
“Our approach is about protecting neighbourhoods and preventing harm early, taking dangerous weapons off the streets, seizing illegal vehicles and holding offenders to account.
“Londoners are at the heart of everything we do. Last year, neighbourhood crime across northwest London fell by 6.4 per cent, with shoplifting in Brent down 10 per cent.”
Brent Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, Councillor Liz Dixon, said: “Neighbourhood crimes such as shoplifting, drug-related offending and antisocial behaviour can have a real impact on people’s sense of safety and on local businesses.
“This operation demonstrates the value of partnership working to tackle the issues that matter most to our communities.”
