More than £87,000 worth of drugs have so far been seized by officers targeting ‘street level’ dealing in the PSNI’s South Area.
The success rate has been made clear after just two weeks of the police’s ‘Operation Seasons Greetings’.
The area covered takes in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, Newry, Mourne and Down, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Ards and North Down and Fermanagh and Omagh.
During the operation police made 84 seizures of drugs and arrested 45 people.
Drugs seized included cannabis, cocaine, heroin and prescription drugs.
Chief Superintendent Ryan Henderson said: “We have made communities in South Area safer by removing these drugs from our streets. The figures are reflective of the work that goes on daily by our police officers who tackle the threat and harm of illegal drug activity throughout the year.
“In the run up to Christmas we wanted to send a clear message that there is no space for illegal drug activity in our communities.
“This message is equally relevant throughout the whole year and our community should rest assured that tackling the illegal sale and use of drugs remains a priority for us.
“We recognise that these figures represent the human devastation that drug misuse can have on a person’s life and the lives of their families and friends and we are committed to working with our partner agencies to find long lasting solutions to tackle this complex and pervasive issue.
“Local communities also have their part to play and information about what is happening in your neighbourhood is instrumental in helping us to target our resources and identify offenders.
“We will continue to proactively target illegal drug activity and bring offenders before the courts to make our communities safer.
“You can help by sharing information about illegal drug activity in your neighbourhood with us. You can contact us by phoning 101.
“You can also provide information to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
