PSNI Seize Over £309,000 Worth Of Drugs In NI

The PSNI seized over £309,000 worth of drugs during the first two weeks of its latest campaign in relation to drug dealing.

From the start of Operation Torus on 27 February to 13 March, police conducted 244 searches across Northern Ireland resulting in 59 arrests and have also charged or reported 43 people to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

Detective Chief Superintendent Tim Mairs, Head of Reactive and Organised Crime Branch, said: "A report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in December 2016 highlighted there was an increase of opioid deaths across the UK between 2012 and 2015, with Northern Ireland having the second highest increase of 47% following England at 58%. This indicates that, despite the much smaller numbers we are dealing with in Northern Ireland, the rate of increase is worrying.

"It also highlighted that the number of opioid deaths now account for a larger number of fatalities in the UK than traffic collisions. Northern Ireland figures also reflect this trend with 88 opioid related deaths in 2015 and 74 fatalities as a result of RTCs.

"Behind each of these statistics for drugs and roads deaths is a person and a family who living daily with this loss. It is recognised that road traffic fatalities are too high, so to compare this with deaths from opioid drugs shows just how big a problem this is becoming."

In the first two weeks of Operation Torus police have had significant success in the number of searches, seizures and arrests linked to street level drug dealers across Northern Ireland.

(CD)