Police seized £9m drugs since April

Published Thursday, 21 June 2012
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Police have seized over £9m worth of drugs since the start of April.

Police seized £9m drugs since April
Some of the drugs found in Derry. (© PSNI)

There have been several major finds in the past few months.

These include a £1.9m cocaine haul disguised as batteries in Belfast and £1m herbal cannabis which was packaged as frozen meat in Loughbrickland, Co Down.

A further £4.8m cocaine was intercepted in London on 15 May, a day after an £800,000 herbal cannabis seizure took place in Londonderry.

Six people have been charged in connection with the operations amid ongoing inquiries.

The figures were released on Thursday by the Organised Crime Branch.

Officers have compared their drugs finds during April and May to the total of £13.1m value discovered in the whole of the previous year.

"These provisional figures show that our intelligence is helping us to target the right organised crime gangs," said Assistant Chief Constable for Crime Operations Drew Harris.

"In addition, a major factor in the high value of the cocaine seizures has been the purity of the product which we have seized."

Mr Harris said the PSNI believe Northern Ireland is being used as a "destination market and as a delivery route" by organised crime gangs involved in drugs trafficking.

He continued: "We are working with a range of agencies nationally and internationally to reduce the threat posed by these gangs, by seizing their consignments and bringing suspects before the courts, and to make Northern Ireland a high-risk, hostile environment for organised criminals.

"All of our operations have the over-riding objective of making our communities safer. These drugs end up on the streets of our towns and cities.

"They have also spawned an illegal sub-culture of paramilitary assaults and shootings fronted by groups claiming to protect communities but who in reality are seeking to control the drugs trade for their own benefits.

"At every level, police will continue to disrupt gangs involved in the sale and supply of drugs, bring individuals before the courts and work with communities and partner agencies to reduce the threat. We would ask everyone for their support and co-operation in tackling this problem through the criminal justice system."

© UTV News
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3 Comments
myself in bfast wrote (363 days ago):
id go one further and say its counter productive to seize these shipments, it creates gaps in markets, debts, disputes and ultimatly adds to the violent and unregulated illicit drugs market. the basic message, if the drugs dont damage your life, the criminal justice system will. think il just crack open a bottle of vodka and rest in assurance that some one is looking out for the kids...
me in uk wrote (363 days ago):
I disagree doesn't matter how much you seize,you will never get it all.Gangsters even send out million pound decoy loads for the cops to find while the fifty million pound load sails by.And it doesn't matter how much you seize, kids who fancy trying drugs are going to find them.Don't forget supply and demand.There will always be a demand and as such there will always be someone who will risk abit of jail time to get very rich importing the stuff.Drugs war has failed ,legalise and regulate drug use to save millions of pounds of police expenditure
HAPPY PARENT in Falls Road wrote (363 days ago):
Once again im glad to hear as i always am, the fact that drugs are being took off the streets. The P.S.N.I. are making hugh successes in this area.Fair play to them,I am stsrting to get some confidence in them,All they need to do know is build up relations with people in these areas and they will get even better results.Fact.Keep up the fantastic work boys.YOU ARE DOING A BRILLIANT JOB.
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