Police raid nets over half a million deadly plague pills worth £250k

Cops seized more than half a million deadly ‘blue plague’ pills during a raid in Paisley.

The haul of etizolam tablets, with an estimated street value of £250,000, were recovered from a house in Foxbar.

Officers launched a pre- planned swoop at around 5.55pm on Wednesday afternoon.

Specialist forensic officers scoured the scene following the huge discovery as cops look to take down drug dealers in the town.

It’s understood the house was under police surveillance prior to the operation leading to the major find.

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

It is often used alongside other illegal substances and can be bought for as little as 50p a pill.

There were 1,264 reported drugs deaths in 2019 – a six per cent increase on the previous 12 months - and of these, 814 involved blue plague etizolam, sometimes known as s t re e t Valium.

Police Scotland has had notable recent successes in tackling the issue, shutting down factories in Glasgow and Paisley.

One woman has so far been arrested in connection with the Foxbar discovery, which detectives say will reduce the harm to the community and could help save lives.

Detective Inspector Ian Ross said: “This is a significant recovery and our communities are safer having these drugs out of circulation.

“They cannot be sold and they cannot bring harm and misery to people’s lives.

He added: “This was a pre-planned operation and shows our determination to combat drug abuse. I would urge anyone with information about drugs in their community to contact police and be assured that action will be taken.”

A 45-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with the drugs find. She is due to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court tomorrow.

Anyone with information on drug dealing can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.