Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
£800K DRUGS LAB BUSTED BY PSNI
Man, 35, arrested after cops seize ‘legal highs’ and tablet presses
THE PSNI has carried out a massive drugs bust seizing psychoactive substances worth more than £800,000.
Officers described the operation as “one of the largest” ever in Northern Ireland after they found drugs and industrial-sized tablet presses.
Detectives from the PSNI’S Criminal Investigation Branch found the material during searches in Portadown and Lurgan over the last two days.
Police searched a house in Portadown on Tuesday. They arrested a 35-year-old man on suspicion of drug offences.
He has since been released on bail pending further enquiries.
A police spokesman said some unknown substances were also discovered and are being examined by specially trained officers.
A further search was also carried out yesterday at business premises in the Charles Street area of Lurgan in the same investigation. Part of the operation saw the PSNI’S Organised Crime Units and Border Force seize a barrel of “suspected new psychoactive substances” after it arrived in Northern Ireland.
The police say they have seized a “further quantity of psychoactive substances, also known as legal highs, worth an estimated £400,000, as well as a quantity of tablets and two industrial sized tablets presses”.
Det Insp Pete Mullan added: “These seizures amount to one of the largest in Northern Ireland and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to removing drugs from our communities and the harm and misery they bring with them.
“Recently a barrel containing a large quantity of suspected new psychoactive
substances was seized as part of ongoing work carried out by the PSNI’S Organised Crime Units and Border Force.
“The barrel was to be delivered to an address in Northern Ireland and yesterday detectives from Criminal Investigation Branch visited that address and arrested a man.
“This was a significant seizure of approximately £400,000 worth of a suspected psychoactive. We also uncovered a number of unknown substances. We also seized a further
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£400,000 of suspected psychoactive substances as well as other tablets and equipment linked with drugs.
“We will continue with proactive investigations and enforcement work but the drugs problem cannot be solved by police alone.
“We want to ensure we are doing everything possible to prevent the supply of drugs and arrest those involved while at the same time making people aware of the real dangers they pose to their health and their lives if they take illegal or controlled drugs.
“The profit made from the supply of illegal drugs funds organised crime which brings harm to individuals and destroys communities. I encourage people to ‘think before they buy’.”
The police said anyone with information about drug dealing should contact them on 101 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.