Prosecutors also gained convictions against 131 other individuals concerned in the supply of drugs, including cannabis and Class B and Class C substances.

The number of convictions during 2008 rose from 148 the previous year. a level at which it had plateaued for the previous three years.

Detective Superintendent Willie Semple of Tayside Police’s Operational Support Division said today the fight against drug dealers would not let up.

He said the drugs trade brought untold misery to the lives of abusers and those who were the innocent victims of drugs-related crime.

In total, police investigated 49 confirmed and suspected drug-related deaths in Tayside last year, with 32 of them occurring in Dundee.

DS Semple warned dealers they would eventually be brought to justice.

“We have got a high rate of success in catching people and convicting primarily Class A drug dealers,” DS Semple said.

“The message is very clear. We are committed to enforcing the drugs legislation in respect of anybody that is concerned in the supply of drugs.

“We are committed to working with our partners in reducing the availability of drugs and offering treatment where appropriate to drug abusers.

“From a law-enforcement point of view, if a person is attempting to distribute drugs in Tayside then we are committed to investigating and detecting them and seeing they are appropriately reported to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Dr Brian Kidd of the Dundee City Drug and Alcohol Action Team said the disruption of the drugs supply chain — however temporary — led to users coming forward for treatment.

He said, “In general terms, the arrest of drug dealers has little impact because what tends to happen when a drug dealer is removed from the end of a street is that it doesn’t take very long for another person to take up that particular market.

“From a treatment service perspective, it actually probably does have an impact when dealers are removed from a local environment, even just for a few days.

“That tends to trigger people to look for help, but the problem is these people may not be in a position where they are really ready to stop misusing substances.”