WINCHESTER police have arrested and charged a Londoner with supplying drugs in the city.

Joseph Adebayo, 24, was detained following a stop check of a vehicle in Thurmond Road, Stanmore on Tuesday afternoon.

He was charged with possession of criminal property and two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. Adebayo, from Bermondsey, south London, was due to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates Court today.

Officers also arrested two 20-year-old men, one from London and one from Winchester, on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs.

One of the men, from Winchester but not named by police, was also arrested on suspicion of possession of a Class B drug. Both have been bailed until April 21, pending further enquiries.

The arrests are part of an intelligence-led operation in north and mid-Hampshire, including Andover and Basingstoke, the police said today.

They arepart of Operation Fortress, mounted by police and other agencies to reduce the harm of drug-related violence.

In Andover, Abubakar Guthmy, 22, from London, has been charged with two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. The arrest came after a stop-check of a vehicle he was driving in the Andover area.

He is due to appear at Winchester Crown Court on February 5.

In Basingstoke, a 44-year-old local woman has been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to supply Class B drugs and permitting the use of a premises for the supply of Class B drugs.

A 40-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to produce Class B drugs. Both have been bailed until April 8 pending further enquiries.

These arrests came as a result of information received by officers about suspicious activity at a house in the Oakridge area of the town.

Officers also carried out a search warrant at a house in Quilter Road, Brighton Hill. A 38-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man, both from Basingstoke, were cautioned for possession of a Class B drug.

In a separate incident, a 27-year-old man was arrested in South Ham. Brendan Gurski from London, has been charged with two counts of possession of Class A drugs with intent He is due to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates Court today.

One of the aims is to restrict the supply of Class A drugs and officers are keen to hear from anyone who is concerned about illegal drugs or drug-related crime in their neighbourhood.

The things to look out for are as follows – • A sudden increase in visitors to a house or flat and people only staying for a very short time • Short exchanges between small groups of people at or close to a flat or house • Residents leaving a flat or house on numerous occasions throughout the day and returning a short time later • People loitering in an area and using their mobile phones frequently • New-looking or hire cars parked outside a house or flat that wouldn’t normally be there, and being driven by somebody that you wouldn’t normally associate with driving that style of car.