A JUDGE has praised the bravery of two undercover police officers who helped bring down some of Reading’s biggest drug lords.

Judge Peter Ross hailed the heroic efforts of officers involved in Operation Sumac - an investigation targeting street dealing which resulted in dozens of homes across Reading being raided at the end of last year. The judge praised the “meticulously planned and effectively executed” operation after drug dealer Abdul Khan was sent down for 12-and-a-half-years on Tuesday, leaving just one more defendant to be sentenced.

Many of the stings were carried out by two female undercover officers during an investigation which ran between February 6 and September 3 last year.

Judge Ross said: “I do not know their identities and I don’t need to know them, but it was an unusual operation deploying as it did essentially two female undercover officers for the vast majority of the test purchases. There was a risk there that might not be said to be the case if it was two male officers or a male and a female officer and there was evidence of sexual misconduct directed towards one of those officers.

“The way this operation was conducted meant that instead of just getting the street dealers and possibly the middle level dealers, significant gang leaders dealing in big drugs operations have been successfully prosecuted and are now serving long sentences of imprisonment.”

Judge Ross also praised leading officer Detective Inspector Bruce Riddell for his “effective leadership” of the lengthy sting.

He added: “The officers are all worthy of commendations and I hope that the chief constable will be able to recognise the performances of all those officers at the various levels in this case.”