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Nine arrested in £1m drug swoops £2m drugs found in NI and England
(about 6 hours later)
Nine people have been arrested after police seized drugs valued at £1m in Northern Ireland and northern England. Police have seized drugs worth an estimated £2m and arrested nine people as part of a coordinated operation in Northern Ireland and northern England.
Six kilos of cocaine, 22 kilos of amphetamines (speed) and 20 kilos of herbal cannabis were found on a lorry in Kilkeel, Co Down. Police said they believe they have recovered drugs worth £1m during searches in Northern Ireland while a further £1m was seized in England.
In a follow-up search in the Belfast area, six kilos of speed and £100,000 in sterling and euro notes were seized. Six kilos of cocaine, 22 kilos of amphetamines and 20 kilos of cannabis were found in Kilkeel, County Down.
As part of the same operation, 20 kilos of speed were recovered by police from a house in Preston, Lancashire. Officers arrested five men in NI and three men and a woman in England.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) led the year-long operation which also involved Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Police.
Det Supt Esmond Adair, the officer in charge of the operation, said it was "probably the most significant drugs seizure" that has taken place in Northern Ireland "in recent times".
Referring to the valuation of the drugs he said: "Those are conservative estimates - you could triple and quadruple that when you get down to street value."
'Organised crime''Organised crime'
The arrests and seizures were made on Saturday and during a follow-up search in the Belfast area, six kilos of speed and £100,000 in sterling and euro notes were also seized.
As part of the same operation, one kilo of cocaine, 22 kilos of speed and 20 kilos of herbal cannabis were recovered by police from a house in Preston, Lancashire.
Eight searches were carried out in Northern Ireland, resulting in the arrests of five men.Eight searches were carried out in Northern Ireland, resulting in the arrests of five men.
The operation centred on Kilkeel, but there were also searches in Lisburn, Hillsborough, and Lurgan.
There were five searches in England and three men - who are being taken to Northern Ireland for questioning - and one woman were arrested.There were five searches in England and three men - who are being taken to Northern Ireland for questioning - and one woman were arrested.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) led the operation which also involved Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Police. Seven of the arrested men are from Northern Ireland, the woman is from England and the ninth man is a Dutch national.
Det Supt Essie Adair, the officer in charge of the operation, said: "This has been a successful overt stage of a long-term proactive investigation involving the PSNI and partner agencies against an organised crime gang which we believe was importing drugs into Northern Ireland." Det Supt Adair said police believed the drugs had been taken from Holland to England and on then to Northern Ireland.
"This has been a successful overt stage of a long-term proactive investigation involving the PSNI and partner agencies against an organised crime gang which we believe was importing drugs into Northern Ireland," he added.