Some of the drugs worth of millions of pounds taken off the streets of Northern Ireland by the PSNI

DETECTIVES from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch investigating the supply of controlled drugs into Northern Ireland have made a further arrest.

They detained a 34-year-old man in north Belfast yesterday afternoon on suspicion of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, being concerned in the supply of class A drugs and being concerned in the supply of class A and class B drugs.

He is currently in custody helping police with their enquiries.

The arrest is in connection with an operation in which nine people were arrested in Northern Ireland and the Manchester area on Tuesday 14th October.

Eight people were subsequently charged with a range of drugs offences.

Nine other people have already appeared in court over the past year in connection with drugs seizures of over £2 million linked to this investigation.

One of those who appeared in court last week is alleged to be the ‘Mr Big’ of the cocaine supplying operation.

Deccy Gallagher was described in court as a ‘major principal in the supply operation between his new home in Manchester and his former hometown of Derry.

He had survived two murder bids on his life at the hand of dissident republican group Repulicans Acting Against Drugs (RAAD).