WATCH: Dramatic scenes as police raid booby-trapped Wednesbury house

The raid on Windmill Street, Wednesbury, was one of eight warrants executed in dawn searches across the area today.

Using an enforcer to get into the property, officers were faced with a metal plate with a live electrical current going through it from the mains supply.

White powder – suspected to be crack cocaine – and a cannabis set-up were then found inside the property.

A man at the address was arrested on suspicion of plotting to supply crack-cocaine to Sandwell drug users.

Eight others were also arrested as part of this morning's operation, with drugs and thousands of pounds in cash being seized from the properties searched.

Codenamed Spring Safer Six, the intelligence-led strike has been sparked by public concerns about crime, fuelled by drug addiction across the Black Country borough.

Chief Inspector Jane Parry, from Sandwell Police, said: "We are determined to crackdown on drug dealing in our communities, which brings untold misery through associated crime, creating victims and ruining the lives of addicts and their families.

"This determination is demonstrated by our officers, who often put themselves at great risk by going into the homes of those willing to go to dangerous lengths to protect their drugs stash.

"Unfortunately, we always have to be prepared for such tactics and I am thankful nobody was injured on entering the Wednesbury property.

"We will continue to carry out similar raids over the coming weeks in a bid to clean up the borough and along with our partners, we will be working in the area to support residents and make their community an even safer place to live and work."

Safer Six is a long-running Sandwell based operation which has helped drive down crime levels across the borough to an all-time low.

The success of local officers in keeping people safe has drawn national recognition. For the past three years Sandwell Police have been identified as the UK's number one for cutting re-offending rates by getting criminals to change their ways.

To report suspected criminality in your area, call police on 101 or pass information on anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

All those arrested were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to supply crack-cocaine:

• A 24-year-old man was arrested from a property in Wedgbury Close, Wednesbury. 20 oz of cannabis and more than £2,000 in cash were found at the address.

• A 31-year-old man was arrested from a house in Pavillion Avenue, Smethwick. White powder, suspected to be a legal high, and a number of mobile phones, were seized.

• A 26-year-old man was arrested from a property in Dale Street, Wednesbury. A single piece of ammunition, phones and a small bag of cannabis were recovered.

• A 51-year-old man was arrested from a house in Windmill Street, Wednesbury. White powder, suspected to be crack cocaine with a street value of £1,000, and four cannabis plants in a hydroponics set-up were seized.

• A 40-year-old man was arrested from a property in Langdon Gardens Oldbury. Phones and a small amount of unidentified pills were recovered.

• A 31-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman were arrested from a house in Willows Close, Cradley Heath. A single piece of ammunition, five cannabis plants, six bags of cannabis, scales, bags and phones were seized.

• A 24-year-old man was arrested from a property in Westminster Road, Handsworth. £2,500 in cash and six wraps of heroin were recovered.

• A 22-year-old man was arrested from a house in Primrose Lane, The Scotlands. A quantity of white powder, suspected to be Class A drugs, and more than £1,000 in cash were found.