Sniffer dogs help seize island-bound drugs

Police have seized around £7,500 worth of drugs bound for Shetland by post with the help of sniffer dogs.

The packages were recovered with the aid of charity Dogs Against Drugs, which monitors the post for suspicious packages.

In recent months 13 parcels containing drugs have been seized, leading to further searches of properties under warrant, police said.

These have resulted in further recoveries of heroin, cannabis and cocaine.

Several people have been charged with drugs offences with investigations continuing.

Shetland area commander Chief Inspector Lindsay Tulloch said: “We are very aware that the postal system is one means that people will attempt to use to bring drugs into our islands and we are committed to intercepting any suspicious packages before they reach their intended targets.

“The value of Dogs Against Drugs in this work cannot be overstated – they play a vital role in keeping the communities of Shetland safe.

“They are a local charity who now have four dogs fully trained and successfully operating in the islands thanks to the support of the local community. Drugs have no place on Shetland and will not be tolerated.”