POLICE discovered a taser and more than £10,000 in cash during an early morning drugs raid in Clacton.

Tendring Community Policing Team executed a warrant at a property in Dudley Road on Sunday morning.

Officers discovered Class A and B drugs, cash and a taser during the operation.

A spokesman for the force said: “The team executed a drugs warrant in Clacton whilst the occupants were enjoying their extra hour in bed.

“They discovered not only a large quantity of drugs but a substantial sum of cash and what is believed to be a taser.

“A 30-year-old female, 26-year-old male and 27-year-old male, all from the Clacton area, were arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply and firearms offences.”

All three have been released under investigation pending forensic examination of the drugs and taser.

Insp Darren Deex, from the Tendring Local Policing Team, said Clacton still has issues with ‘county lines’ drug gangs.

‘County lines’ refers to gangs from cities expanding to small towns, often violently driving out local dealers and exploiting children and vulnerable people to sell drugs for them.

Mr Deex said: “As with many towns, particularly those in seaside resorts and where there are high levels of vulnerability, Clacton remains an area targeted by county lines who exploit young people and also vulnerable adults to supply drugs.

“As a community policing team we work closely with our colleagues in the Operation Raptor unit, a team specifically set up to target this activity, to develop and act upon intelligence linked to county lines.

“It remains one of our key priorities in Tendring to disrupt and prevent the supply of drugs in our community and to safeguard and protect vulnerable people who are at risk of exploitation by these organised crime groups.

“We also work closely with our community safety partners, both in terms of offenders and victims, to not only divert them away from what can be perceived as a glamorous lifestyle, but also educate them on the dangers of being involved in this criminal activity.

“We are absolutely committed to making Tendring a hostile place for county lines to operate in and are using all available powers to do so.”

Anyone with information about drug dealing should call police on 101.