Man arrested after £400k worth of drugs discovered in vehicle at Belfast Harbour

Drugs estimated to have a street value of £400,000 have been discovered in a vehicle at Belfast Harbour.

Police say 27kg of cannabis was concealed within a wardrobe while a sum of cash was also recovered.

A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of a Class B controlled drug with intent to supply.

Detectives say they believe the find to be coordinated by large-scale organised crime gangs.

Detective Inspector Conor Sweeney said: “This search, seizure and arrest was conducted as part of our ongoing commitment to address the criminality linked to drug importation, supply and use that often results in drug debts, drug addiction and drug related deaths within our communities.

“Through Operation DEALBREAKER, and the multi-agency efforts of the Organised Crime Task Force, we will continue to carry out operations, to break the cycle of those who seek to cause harm through the illegal importation and supply of drugs in Northern Ireland, and to dismantle the organised criminal gangs who profit from this incredibly harmful activity.

“I wish to be absolutely clear – this type of large scale importation is conducted by sophisticated organised crime gangs, both paramilitary and otherwise. These gangs are utterly ruthless in their exploitation of the most vulnerable in our society and they cause this misery for no other reason than personal profit.

“We cannot tackle this scourge without the help of the public. I appeal to anyone with information about illegal drug use or supply, to call police on the non-emergency number 101.  Alternatively, you can submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ . The independent charity Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/