Cops find £7k ‘blue plague’pills stashed in flat during drugs bust

Etizolam tablets recovered following ‘targeted’ raid

Drug squad cops uncovered more than £7,000 worth of deadly ‘blue plague’ pills in Paisley.

O f f i c e r s f rom the Alcohol and Violence Reduction Unit raided a flat in Maxwellton Court in the Castlehead area of the town where they uncovered the haul of thousands of etizolam tablets.

Cops made the find during a targeted raid to disrupt the trade of “street Valium” linked to a swathe of deaths across the country.

It is understood they swooped on the flat around 10am on Monday following a tip-off.

Inspector Tracy Harkins from Paisley’s community policing team said officers will continue to target drug dealer across the town.

She said: “We can confirm officers executed a search warrant on a property in Maxwellton Court , Paisley on Monday under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

“A large quantity of etizolam tablets were found within the property which if sold would have an estimated street value of around £7,000.”

She added: “We will continue to target drug dealing in our communities as a top priority.

“We rely on members of the public getting in touch to report any suspicions they may have and we would urge anyone with information come forward.

“We will always act on the information we receive.”

A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed a 27- year- old man and a 21- year- old woman had been arrested in connection with alleged drug offences and report had been submitted to the procurator fiscal.

In a separate incident, cops seized hundreds of white suspected etizolam tablets after stopping a car in Paisley the same morning.

Cops pulled over the vehicle in Ferguslie Park Avenue around 10.45am and searched it after becoming suspicious.

They found a bag containing hundreds of pills.

Two men aged 47, and 31, have been arrested in connection with alleged drug offences and a report has been sent to the procurator fiscal.

Dubbed the ‘blue plague’ after it was linked to scores of drug death in Scotland, etizolam has become easily available to users across the country.

It is often used in along with other illegal substances.