£2 million drugs seized on the streets

CLASS A drugs worth more than £2 million have been seized from the streets of Warrington and Halton during the past year following a campaign by Cheshire Police.
An “exceptional” year has been reported by the Dedicated Drugs Unit, which concentrates on the illegal drugs industry in the Northern area.
More than 60 warrants have been executed in Warrington, resulting in more than 65 arrests in the town.
So far offenders targeted by the unit have bee sentenced to more than 100 years imprisonment in total, and a number of criminals are still awaiting sentence.
Detective Sergeant Ian Allen said: “Due to the high levels of professionalism and motivation in the team, we have also seen a decrease in acquisitive crime such as robbery, burglary and vehicle crime.
“We have been involved in several major operations including Crackdown and Zoomed, both of which involved extensive covert work and resulted in significant arrests and subsequent charges.”
He said the team’s role was not just to act as enforcers they also work on long-term strategies to deal with drug abuse and dependency.
Officers work as part of the Safer Warrington and Safer Halton Partnerships and provide intelligence, information and specialist skills to local agencies and individual workers.
Detective Sergeant Allen said: “Drugs can be extremely destructive and we will continue to arrest and prosecute those who seek to profit from illegal practices, but will also aim to provide advice and support to those who seek to free themselves from the grip of addiction.”
The special drugs unit also includes four Detective Constables who have a wealth of experience in the force. It aims specifically to tackle Class A drugs.
DCI Martin Cleworth said: “The team provide a unique set of skills and experience, which has dealt a body blow to criminals seeking to profit by selling drugs in Warrington and Halton.
“The statistics speak for themselves and point to the unrivalled achievements of the unit, but perhaps the most telling measure of success comes from drug users themselves who have told various agencies that it is becoming increasingly difficult to buy street drugs in the Northern area.”
Anyone with information about drug-related activity should contact the Northern Area Dedicated Drugs Unit on 01244 613929.