DRUGS SWOOP

PSNI officers seized drugs as part of a multi-agency operation with police in England and officers from the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

It's not known how the drugs were connected to Lurgan, however, it’s believed none of the people charged were from the town.

Drugs suspected to be cocaine, speed and herbal cannabis worth 1m were seized in Kilkeel and greater Belfast on Saturday. Suspected drugs with a similar value were seized at premises in Preston in England.

Eight people appeared in Belfast Magistrates' Court on Tuesday charged with conspiracy to supply and money laundering offences.

Seven of the men are from Northern Ireland, while the other is a Dutch national.

Nine people were arrested over the weekend - five from Northern Ireland and four in England - and 100,000 cash in sterling and euro notes was seized. Eight of the suspects were being questioned by detectives in Antrim police station.

Detective Superintendent Essie Adair, said: "We are delighted with the amount of drugs which we have seized and the number of arrests which have been made. We believe we have dismantled an organised crime gang which was importing drugs into Northern Ireland.

"We have been working closely with colleagues in the Serious Organised Crime Agency, Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Constabulary for the past year. We have been watching locations, vehicles and individuals. Within the past week, we started to get a clearer picture of the gang's activities and decided to move to an overt stage of the operation on Saturday, which culminated in these significant seizures and arrests."

A total of eight searches were carried out in Northern Ireland and five in England. Five men were arrested in Northern Ireland while three men and one woman were arrested in England. The three men were brought to Antrim for questioning.