Haul of £3.5m drugs off the streets during year of action

Drugs including cocaine, cannabis, heroin, amphetamine and prescription drugs with a street value of £3,492,060 have been removed from the hands of criminals over the last year.

Cash totalling £248,980 was also seized.

Weapons including stun guns, firearms, CS gas canisters, knives and a crossbow were seized as part of the searches.

The total number of seizures carried out by the Community Drugs Enforcement Team will be higher as they have been complimented with drugs activity carried out by neighbourhood teams in Hartlepool, as well as Middlesbrough, Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland.

They involved the discovery of 459 cannabis plants worth £251,000 were seized from two adjoining addresses on Tankerville Street in Hartlepool in May.

Two men aged 24 and 27 were charged with producing a controlled drug.

In January 2017, a man was charged with producing a controlled drug after police raided an address on Norcliffe Street in Middlesbrough, seizing 235 cannabis plants with a street value of £129,000.

In August, 713 cannabis plants worth £392,000 were recovered at an address on Henry Street in Redcar.

A 27-year-old man was charged with producing a controlled drug.

In November, suspected heroin worth £200,000 and other drugs including suspected amphetamine, MDMA and cannabis were seized from addresses across Stockton and eight people were arrested and released under investigation whilst enquiries continue.

Inspector Tony Cross, from Cleveland Police’s Community Drugs Enforcement Team, said: “Seizing almost £3.5million worth of drugs has meant that those drugs have not reached the streets of Cleveland, where they could potentially be of serious harm to members of the public.

“We will continue with this good work throughout 2018 and strive to reduce the supply of drugs in Cleveland, reduce associated antisocial behaviour and crime linked to drugs within our local communities and also reduce the criminal gains of offenders who are dealing drugs in our local communities.

“Drugs recoveries are largely down to intelligence-led policing, however, we are assisted greatly by the support and information that we receive from the members of the public.

"I’d like to thank those people who do come to us and voice their concerns about drugs activity in their local area and I would encourage those people to continue to do so.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Barry Coppinger, said: “During my time as Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland I have attended over 500 community meetings and I am often approached by people who want to voice their concerns about drugs activity in their local area.

“I am pleased with the work that is ongoing to tackle drugs on the streets of Cleveland and, as the figures have shown, police are acting on the information which is given to them. I hope that this good work will continue throughout 2018 and beyond.”

Anyone reporting information regarding drugs activity in their local area can contact Cleveland Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.