Drug cops believe they have struck at the heart of a group with links to organised crime after seizing crack cocaine and heroin worth a six-figure sum in series of dawn raids across Aberdeen.
The three-pronged operation, which follows an almost year-long inquiry, saw them target a number of “key players” from an outfit working within the city.
It is understood the intelligence-led searches yielded more than a kilo of crack cocaine and heroin.
Officers arrested four males at a number of properties across the city.
Detective Inspector Martyn Thomson said a significant amount of drugs were recovered during the operation, which was part of an extensive investigation into organised crime groups in Aberdeen.
He said: “The enforcement action we have taken will significantly disrupt the supply of class A drugs across Aberdeen and the wider communities.
“We go after those at all levels of criminal activity.
“We are interested in the smaller players as well but, if you can remove the top guys ,it will take apart the rest of the group.
“This will have a significant impact across the city.”
Arrests after Aberdeen drug raids
During a raid on a Garthdee property, police teams forced a door just after 7am to locate substantial quantities of crack cocaine and heroin.
A police sniffer dog was used to locate the stash before it was removed by officers.
Four arrests were made at a location adjacent to South College Street and an address near Holburn Street, where officers also seized large quantities of crack and heroin.
One male, who was arrested by officers while attempting to flee from a second location near South College Street, was discovered in possession of drugs intended for sale on the streets of Aberdeen.
A subsequent inspection of that property yielded a further arrest and what is understood to be a significant quantity of Class A drugs.
The search of another property, near Holburn Street, also led to two arrests and the discovery of a sizable cache of crack cocaine and heroin.
Police intelligence officers have been tracking the movements of the operation since early April, with a raid in September yielding further information to justify the series of raids yesterday.
DI Thomson added: “We’re at the point where this has been a protracted inquiry – almost a year long.
“Hits like these take quite a bit of work, but when the intelligence is developed we move when we feel it is right.
“We’ll continue to work forward towards our ultimate objective, which is identifying anyone involved in the drugs trade both in the city and surrounding communities of the north-east.”
A raid in September targeted several properties in Aberdeen as part of a “day of action” cracking down on drug crime and violence in the city.
Teams of officers targeted addresses in Tillydrone and Seaton in an operation designed to take drugs off the city’s streets and protect communities from violent crime.
The bust saw quantities of Class A drugs, including crack cocaine, recovered along with cash and a number of weapons.
Several people were also arrested as part of the operation, which was targeted at serious and organised crime groups in the city.
