MORE than £185,000 worth of illegal drugs have been found and 29 people arrested by police in the North East this month after a police scheme has stepped up to seize cocaine, ketamine and heroin from the streets of the region.   

Dedicated officers from Northumbria Police have been working as part of Project Adder to tackle the supply of harmful substances, as well as taking more than £48,000 in suspected criminal cash out of circulation.

Adder, which stands for addiction, diversion, disruption, enforcement, and recovery was first launched in several areas across England and Wales in January 2021 and officially brought to the North East in July.

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And this month, officers from Northumbria Police working as part of the scheme have stepped up their activity with a range of warrants, searches and tactical vehicle stops.

One house search in Debdon gardens, Heaton, led officers to boxes of cannabis valued at £75,000, another vehicle stops and short foot chase in Jesmond resulted in the seizure of multiple bags of ketamine and cocaine.

Other seizures include deals of crack cocaine, wraps of heroin and quantities of diazepam along with a Rolex and dozens of mobile phones.

As part of the ongoing clampdown, 20 cars were also uplifted, and 2,000 packs of suspected illegal cigarettes recovered.

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Jamie Pitt of Northumbria Police, the Force lead for Project Adder said: “This month we’ve seen a fantastic set of results which will make a real difference in our communities.

“The substances we seize are safely destroyed and never make it onto the streets or turn a profit which could find its way back into organised crime.

“Drug supply exploits the vulnerable and can have a corrosive impact on our neighbourhoods and thanks to Project Adder, a significant quantity of Class A and B drugs have been taken out of the supply chain, and several individuals arrested.

“We will continue to work with our partners in both law enforcement and the local authority to tackle serious and organised crime and I hope this activity sends a strong message to those involved in this type of criminality – we will bring you to justice.”

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A total of 24 men and five women were arrested on suspicion of drugs offences ranging from possession with intent to supply class A and B to driving while under the influence.

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, added: "These are big, impressive numbers - the results residents want to see.

“Drug crime brings so many problems and there really is no quick fix solution, but I am very pleased with the work and results that Project Adder is achieving. The more people arrested, the more drugs we take out of the circulation, the more people we help with addiction - it's all part of fighting this crime.

“We need to keep chipping away at the problem, breaking it down, disrupting the networks and ultimately protecting the vulnerable who get targeted and drawn into the evils of the drugs world.”

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