Four arrested as drugs seized in Northumberland raids

Apr 25 2009 by Dave Black, The Journal

FOUR people were arrested and drugs with a street value of £1,000 seized after suspected criminals in two Northumberland towns were targeted as part of a major police crackdown.

Large numbers of Northumbria Police officers in riot-style vans descended on Alnwick over two successive nights.

Operation Fossick – the latest phase of the force-wide Operation Payback campaign – saw officers carry out raids on pubs and domestic premises in the town centre on Tuesday and Wednesday night.

This week’s operation also took in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, where the Railway pub was closed by police for a time and more than £1,000 worth of amphetamine and cocaine was recovered.

A number of people were stopped and searched, and three men and a woman were arrested for drug-related offences.

Last week Operation Payback 3 saw 48 hours of intense police activity across the region, in which drugs, cash, jewellery and vehicles were seized and 21 people were arrested in raids on homes and businesses linked to criminals.

Operation Fossick aims to follow up the success of those raids by targeting people in Northumberland suspected of living off the proceeds of crime.