| The deadly controlled substances — including heroin and cocaine — have been uncovered by officers involved in Operation Waterloo, it emerged today.
Tayside Police also revealed they have seized a “substantial” sum of cash, which the Tele understands totals around £16,000.
During the initial enforcement phase, which began on July 3, around 50 officers were deployed over two days to execute arrest and search warrants at addresses in the Hilltown and Stobswell areas of Dundee.
Since then, a total of 27 people have been arrested for a variety of alleged drug offences.
Enforcement activity has continued as a more detailed picture of the dealing and abuse of Class A drugs in the city emerged.
In the largest single incident, police found drugs with an estimated street value of £40,000 during a raid on an undisclosed address in Dundee.
Last Friday’s haul included £27,000 worth of heroin, cocaine valued at £13,000 and £11,000 in cash.
Now Detective Chief Inspector Willie Semple, head of the CID in Dundee, has revealed the full extent of all the raids and pledged efforts to rid Dundee of the scourge of drugs would continue.
“We understand there has been a scarcity of heroin since the raids began,” he said. “This work will go on.”
He added that although the amount of heroin on Dundee’s streets had reduced, it was not yet clear what impact that was having on the drug users living in the Hilltown and Stobswell areas.
There has been speculation that the reduced availability of heroin may be leading to desperate addicts engaging in greater criminality to obtain a fix.
Several people appeared in private before a sheriff at Dundee yesterday in relation to alleged robberies carried out over the weekend.
But DCI Semple said there was “no concrete evidence” to link the cases to the scarcity of drugs in the area.
Police have accepted, however, that there will always be demand for drugs, and Chief Superintendent Colin McCashey, head of policing in Dundee, has said Waterloo is designed “for the long-term benefit of the community.”
Operation Waterloo was launched amid widespread concerns about the amount of heroin available in Dundee.
The Tele began to focus on the issue after a court case in the city heard police surveillance recorded 50 people visiting a flat in the space of five hours.
Local solicitor George Donnelly had told the court the Hilltown was “awash with heroin” and a torrent of addicts would flood to his client’s home. |
