FOUR people have been arrested and charged in a police operation which included the seizure of a large amount of illegal drugs.

The two-day operation to target the import and supply of drugs resulted in the seizure of more than 450kg of cannabis, with an estimated street value of £500,000, 10kg of amphetamines, quantities of crack cocaine, ecstasy tablets, heroin and £150,000 in cash.

Fourteen people from Durham, Newcastle, North Tyneside and Glasgow were arrested at properties in Durham and Northumberland.

Four men, including Robert Henson, 59 of Ancroft Garth, Shincliffe, on the outskirts of Durham City, John Rae, 39, of Killingworth Lane, Backworth, North Tyneside, Paul Thompson, 48, of Telford Close, Backworth, and Peter Thirlaway, 38, of Dowling Avenue, Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, were charged with drug-related offences at Newcastle Magistrates' Court yesterday.

The others were bailed pending inquiries.

Detective Superintendent Dave Borrie, who was involved in the operation, said: "This was a co-ordinated strike against the import and supply of drugs to the North-East, following several weeks of surveillance and intelligence-gathering by our teams of highly skilled, specialist detectives.

"We have said we would remove the links in the drugs chain and promised the same treatment to others coming to fill the gap. We now believe we are in the process of dismantling an organised group of criminals intent on plying their trade."

In a separate operation, officers raided two premises in Newcastle.

In the first, about 330kg of cannabis resin was recovered from vehicles in a compound on Bell's Industrial Estate, in Scotswood.

At a raid in Benfield Road, officers discovered an elaborate cannabis farm, where 100 mature plants were recovered.

Superintendent Neil Adamson said: "This is a substantial amount of cannabis and its recovery will have a serious impact on the drugs supply networks in our area."