On a seemingly ordinary Wednesday afternoon in August 2025, the quiet streets of Easton, Bristol, became the stage for a dramatic police operation that would ultimately remove a significant quantity of illegal drugs from circulation. The catalyst for this success? Not just the diligent officers of Avon and Somerset Police, but a newly trained, four-legged recruit named PD Raven, whose keen nose led authorities to a hidden cache worth a staggering £170,000.
The story began on August 6, when officers were patrolling known hotspots for anti-social behaviour and drug supply in East Bristol. According to Avon and Somerset Police, these proactive patrols were part of a broader effort to address community concerns, particularly in areas like Stapleton Road, which has been plagued by the open supply of drugs and its associated harms. During their midday patrol, plain clothes officers observed what appeared to be a drug deal: a man, later identified as 41-year-old Kemar Lewis of Kensington Park, Easton, was seen exchanging small items for money with another individual. The officers watched as Lewis cycled away, but he soon slipped from their view.
Despite losing sight of the suspect momentarily, the officers’ persistence paid off. Just before 2pm, they located Lewis outside his home. He was promptly arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs. The arrest triggered a section 18 search of his property under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act—a standard procedure in such investigations.
It was at this point that PC Harry Lewis and his specialist search dog, PD Raven, entered the scene. PD Raven, one of the force’s newest recruits, had only recently completed her initial training earlier in 2025. She was not your typical pedigree police dog; she came from a rescue centre, where staff had noticed her extraordinary sense of smell and unrelenting desire to search. That instinct would soon prove invaluable.
Describing the search, PC Harry Lewis recounted, “Raven and I worked our way through the downstairs and some of the bedrooms and kitchen. I then took her to an area under the stairs where she showed an immediate change of behaviour, which led me to believe there was something concealed.” His intuition, paired with Raven’s acute senses, proved spot on. Officers lifted the floorboards in the area Raven had indicated. What they found was nothing short of remarkable.
Hidden beneath the floorboards was a trove of illegal substances and cash: heroin valued at £55,000, crack cocaine worth £58,500, cannabis approaching £1,800, and a cutting agent—often used to dilute drugs for greater profit—valued around £50,000. Alongside the drugs, police recovered £16,475 in paper money and almost £8,650 in coins, totaling £25,000 in criminal proceeds. The total value of the drugs and cash seized reached approximately £195,000, a significant blow to the local drug trade.
As the news broke, a video circulated from the search, capturing the moment of discovery. In it, an officer can be heard exclaiming, “Let’s see what we’ve got. Oh! Jackpot!” The excitement was palpable; this was a major haul, and it had been made possible by the combined efforts of human and canine officers alike.
PC Lewis was effusive in his praise for his partner: “This was an exceptional find for Raven and for the dog unit and really showcases the impact and importance of our specialist search dogs. PD Raven is one of our newest specialist search dogs, passing her initial training earlier this year. She came to us through a rescue centre where the rescuer recognised her keen sense of smell and desire to search. She has already proven herself an exceptional asset to the team and a great partner in fighting crime!”
The legal proceedings moved swiftly. On September 12, 2025, at Bristol Crown Court, Kemar Lewis pleaded guilty to possession of class A drugs with intent to supply—specifically crack cocaine and heroin—possession of class B drugs (cannabis), and possession of criminal property. The court sentenced him to six years in prison, and the £25,000 in seized cash was forfeited to the courts. Lewis’s conviction, authorities hope, will send a message to others involved in the drug trade that law enforcement is both vigilant and resourceful.
Neighbourhood Policing Inspector Tom Tooth highlighted the significance of the operation, crediting it to “brilliant proactive work carried out by our neighbourhood officers in East Bristol—who make up the additional resources put in by the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee—after we received intelligence and feedback about areas of interest for anti-social behaviour and drug crime.” Inspector Tooth emphasized the broader impact of the bust: “Drugs can have a significant impact on our communities, and we know this is currently the case for the area around Stapleton Road in Easton. We are working with our partners and local residents to address this in a number of ways, one of which is to proactively target the open supply of drugs in public places. Through this operation, we have been able to take a large amount of drugs off the illegal market, hopefully giving local residents some reassurance that we are focussing on the harms caused by drug use and drug crime.”
The successful operation shines a spotlight not only on the persistent efforts of Bristol’s neighbourhood policing teams but also on the evolving role of police dogs in modern law enforcement. PD Raven’s journey—from a rescue centre to a key player in a major drugs bust—demonstrates the untapped potential in animals that might otherwise be overlooked. Her story is a testament to the value of second chances, both for the dog herself and for the communities she now helps protect.
While the streets of Easton may still face challenges from drug-related crime, the events of August 6 stand as a reminder that coordinated, intelligence-led policing—bolstered by innovative resources like specialist search dogs—can make a tangible difference. For residents weary of the blight of drugs, the hope is that this operation is just one of many steps toward a safer, more vibrant community.
As for PD Raven, her future with Avon and Somerset Police looks bright. Having already proven herself an “exceptional asset to the team and a great partner in fighting crime,” as PC Lewis put it, she’s sure to be at the forefront of many more successful operations. And for those involved in Bristol’s illegal drug trade, the message is clear: there’s a new nose on the beat, and she’s not to be underestimated.
