A POLICE operation has seen 18 people arrested and what is believed to be £100,000 of cocaine seized.

Thanks to the sting, which created a “ring of steel” on Hampshire roads last week, a £12,000 stolen digger was also recovered along with two other stolen vehicles.

Operation Titan, the largest joint operations launched by the roads policing units of the Hampshire and Thames Valley forces, was aimed at offenders who persistently use the roads to carry out their crimes.

After stopping a car in Iver and Denham officers seized a large quantity of a substance believed to be cocaine. If tests confirm it is cocaine, the estimated street value is around £100,000.

A 24-year-old man from Kent was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A with intent to supply. He has been released from custody but remains under investigation.

The team kicked-off the operation on Monday in Iver and Denham, before moving to Southampton on Tuesday, Portsmouth on Wednesday and then finishing in Slough on Thursday.

The crackdown saw roads policing officers using motorbikes, marked and unmarked cars, as well as the Commercial Vehicle Unit to target law-breaking motorists.

They used the latest Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, and worked alongside experts from the DVLA, Immigration and the Motors Insurers’ Bureau.

As well as those arrested, 42 vehicles were seized for having no insurance or no licence.

Among the vehicles seized was a stolen digger, worth £12,000, plus two other stolen vehicles were recovered, a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs and a 25-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of failing to appear at court.

The Commercial Vehicle Unit also stopped a HGV which was “piggy-backing” another HGV lorry in Portsmouth.

The driver of the HGV lorry that was being carried was asleep in his cab.

Both drivers were given fines which totalled £1,000.

Inspector Simon Hills, who headed up the operation, said: “This is an important operation because people living and working in Hampshire and Thames Valley deserve to have roads that they can enjoy, free from the fear of either crime, death or serious injury.

“My message to criminals who are thinking of visiting Hampshire or Thames Valley is don’t.

“You don’t know where we are going to be next, we will be running more of these operations, we will be targeting you and we will make the five counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and Thames Valley safer for everyone.”