£2m of drugs suspected to be connected with organised crime gangs seized on Teesside

Two million pounds worth of drugs have been seized by police over the last six months.

Cleveland Police have said it uncovered kilos of heroin, cocaine, cannabis and illegal tablets.

The drugs are suspected of being connected to organised crime networks, officers have said.

The class A and class B drugs seized by police were taken to a secure unit where they were subsequently burnt.

It follows months of action by police in Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland which saw targeted raids and stop searches over this period.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick See, from Cleveland Police’s Dedicated Drugs and County Lines Team, said: “Criminal networks profit from the supply of illegal drugs and reap the rewards through their lavish lifestyles.

“The organisations are often linked to the criminal exploitation of children and vulnerable adults who may be homeless, have a disability or suffer from severe addictions. This can then often be linked to a wave of crime to fund their habit including anti-social behaviour, burglary and theft.

“The supply of illegal drugs also encompasses serious violence from tit-for-tat reprisals such as the discharge of a firearm, knife and arson attacks which can occur behind the scenes or openly within our community.

“Seizing these drugs goes a long way to disrupting all of this criminality. We couldn’t do it without the support of the public who are our eyes and our ears."

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