Two arrested as drugs and high value goods worth £90k seized in five-borough PSNI operation

One man, aged 32, was arrested on suspicion of a number of drug related offences, including being concerned in the supply of Class A controlled drugs, possession of a Class A controlled drug and possessing criminal property.

A second man, aged 44, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a Class A controlled drug with intent to supply and possession of a Class A controlled drug. They both remain in police custody.

The searches took place in Belfast, Newry Mourne and Down, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon and Antrim and Newtownabbey.

Detective Inspector Shaw said: "The searches were part of a proactive policing operation led by detectives from our Organised Crime Branch, with help from various other departments, and were conducted across various locations in Northern Ireland.

"As a result, suspected Class A drugs and a number of other items, including cash, five high value watches, designer handbags and shoes with estimated value of over £90,000 were seized.

“The illegal supply and use of drugs remains a priority for police, and seizures such as this demonstrate our ongoing commitment to tackling the scourge of drugs in our society.

“The jewellery forfeited shows our ongoing commitment to pursuing proceeds of crime generated from the criminal activities of criminal groupings. The public have specifically asked us to pursue the finances generated by criminal groups and we will explore every avenue in order to do so. This money will now be put to good use in providing assistance to local initiatives and other worthwhile causes.”

In an appeal for information, Detective Inspector Shaw went to say: “The Organised Crime Unit remains committed to tackling all funding streams that help line the pockets of these groups. As always, we rely on the local community to help us. You can provide information by calling us directly in confidence on 101, or alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

Last year, Crimestoppers sent police forces over 185,000 anonymous crime reports - which equates to 507 per day and 21 per hour. Find out more about the anonymity promise online at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/what-exactly-do-we-mean-by-anonymity for more information.