Man charged in 
£1.8m drugs haul

Detectives from the PSNI Organised Crime Unit, in the early hours of Saturday morning, stopped and searched a lorry, seizing approximately £1.8 million worth of cocaine and cannabis. Two arrests were made.

A 36-year-old man has been charged with possession of class A and class B controlled drugs and possession with intent to supply and is expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court via video-link today.

A 31-year-old woman has been released on bail pending further inquiries.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Thornton said: “This search, seizure and arrest was conducted as part of the multi-agency approach to target organised crime and our ongoing commitment to address the criminality linked to drug importation, supply and use that often results in drug debts, drug addiction and drug-related deaths within our communities.

“Through Operation Dealbreaker, and the multi-agency efforts of the Organised Crime Task Force, we will continue to carry out operations, to break the cycle of those who seek to cause harm through the illegal importation and supply of drugs in Northern Ireland, and to dismantle the organised criminals who profit from this incredibly harmful activity.”

On the wider issue of drugs, Inspector Thornton said that anyone who thinks they might have a problem with drugs and/or alcohol and would like to get help should visit www.drugsandalcoholni.info for information on support services near you.

He added: “There is also a range of services available if you are affected by someone else’s drinking and/or drug misuse.

“Information on these services is also available on this website. These services are available to you regardless of whether or not your loved one is receiving help for their alcohol and/or drug problem.”

The News Letter recently revealed that drug deaths have greatly increased over the past decade.

It was also claimed that convicts are coming out of prison with worse drug addictions than when they were sent in.

Head of an anti-addiction charity ASCERT, Gary McMichael, said: “Law enforcement is not going to help people who already have an addiction, because people who go into prison find themselves more vulnerable and sometimes [with] better access to drugs – and come out with problems that are more severe than when they went in. For people who have addictions, the best way to support them is to encourage them into treatment.”