A police sting operation threatens to end two EastEnders characters as their complicated web of criminality begins to unravel next week.

As fans of the BBC soap know,  Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) has been acting as a police informant on his criminal associates after striking a deal with local copper Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) to keep him out of prison over his cuckooing plot involving Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho) and Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway).

With Walford being the incredibly small world it is, it’s also transpired that the recently returned Mark Jr is wrapped up in that very same gang.

So far, Ravi has managed to throw Mark off the scent about him being a rat, but he has also been experiencing worsening mental health, which leads to him unravelling during a hostage situation at the pharmacy on Thursday.

But just as he is recovering from the episode next week, Ravi is shaken when he hears that the police are planning a sting operation to take down lower-tier people in the gang, knowing Mark could be arrested.

Ravi is wracked with guilt at that prospect, having built somewhat of a bond with Mark, but his partner Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan-Levy) orders him to stay out of it.

However, as the two men later have a beer together at Harry’s Barn, Ravi is ready to warn him, but Priya arrives just in time to stop him.

Back home, she reminds Ravi he’ll place her and their family in harm’s way if he tells Mark, but they remain at odds about the situation.

Meanwhile, Mark gets a call from the gang about a new job he must carry out.

With the police hot on his tail, will Mark get caught out or will Ravi risk it all by protecting his mate?