Big Soho players lose after police's hard work pays off

When detectives opened her diamante-studded white shoulder bag and found it stuffed with more than £1,000, the suspect — code-named Breaststroke — claimed she’d been lucky at the casino.

“But we think not,” said a plain-clothes officer with a wry smile as the black woman, in her early twenties and wearing a padded jacket and jeans, was handcuffed and led away.

Her arrest last night in Wardour Street was just one of a string of big pay-offs for the team who have spent months gathering evidence in preparation for the blitz on suspected top-level dealers selling crack and heroin in Soho.

The picture the 800 council workers, local beat bobbies, CCTV operators and undercover detectives had built up of their 36 initial subjects was startling in its detail.

“There is ‘Diving’,” said Sgt David Cooper, watching CCTV monitors, as a heavily built black man in his forties was spotted ambling down Brewer Street. “Now he’ll go into the Las Vegas casino. He loves gambling — sits at the machine in the back corner.”

The information was relayed to undercover officers circling Soho in five unmarked cars. Three detectives entered the casino and Diving was arrested.

Sgt Cooper said: “I believe he’s one of the main players. He’s been a nightmare for me and my team and personally I’m over the moon he’s been taken out.”