South West Drug Experts Unite at DEWVA regional CPD event

The South West DEWVA regional CPD event was brought together by PC Nick Burnett (D&C Drug Expert, CDLO & regional DEWVA committee member).

The event saw 50 of the sharpest minds in drugs knowledge and expertise for a high-impact day of intelligence-sharing and cutting-edge insights. Officers from Avon & Somerset, Devon & Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, British Transport Police, as well as the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit gathered to deepen their understanding of the evolving drug trade.

Opening the event, Detective Superintendent Bancroft, Devon & Cornwalls force drugs lead, set the stage for an eye-opening series of talks reinforcing the critical role of intelligence in understanding drugs and organised crime.

The lineup of expert speakers did not disappoint:

Rich Jones, AKA 'The Lost Soldier' a former insider, delivered a gripping account of his rise—and fall—in the world of wholesale cocaine and MDMA trafficking.

Damo Chorlton, a UK Border Force Intelligence Officer, shed light on the murky world of at-sea drug drop-offs and wash-ups, exposing how traffickers exploit both UK and global maritime trade routes.

Michael Arnold from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission took attendees inside the Australian drug market, drawing parallels with UK trends.

Jason Braund from the NCA delivered a hard-hitting session on cocaine extraction and the growing threat of home-built drug labs.

The event was then close by DI Moorcroft Devon & Cornwalls Drug Expert Lead.

With collaboration and intelligence at the heart of modern drug enforcement, this event proved essential in arming experts with the latest knowledge of how criminal networks operate in illicit drugs markets.

This wasn’t just another conference—it was a masterclass in understanding the UK & global drug trade.