POLICE have seized a massive £12million of suspected Class A and B drugs following operations involving officers from the Organised Crime Task Force and police colleagues in Belgium.

Yesterday, Tuesday, March 30, detectives from the PSNI seized suspected herbal cannabis during a search at a haulage yard in Newry.

One man, aged 34, has been arrested and is assisting police with their enquiries.

In a separate investigation into the importation of Class A drugs, detectives from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Unit have been liaising with the national Crime agency and colleagues from the Belgian Police in relation to an ongoing investigation into an Organised Crime Group, which are based  in Northern Ireland and believed to be operating on an international scale. 

On Friday, March 26, Belgian authorities conducted a search of a vehicle, and subsequently seized a significant quantity of suspected cocaine. 

On Saturday morning, March 27, 2021, two men were arrested by PSNI officers in the Belfast area in respect of this investigation and have been assisting police with their enquiries. 

They are currently on police bail as the investigation into this criminality continues. 

Head of the PSNI’s Criminal Investigation Branch, Detective Chief Superintendent John McVea, said: “The cannabis seizure in Newry is the largest seizure to date in Northern Ireland. 

“There is no doubt that by taking these drugs off the streets of Northern Ireland we have significantly impacted the funding stream of this organised crime gang.

“We will continue to work in partnership with our colleagues in the Organised Crime Taskforce to identify, disrupt, dismantle and frustrate organised crime gangs, not only in Northern Ireland, but across Europe.”