SEVEN men and women have appeared in court on heroin related charges after a series of dawn raids by police in County Durham.
The seven were among a total of 15 people arrested on Friday in the Branksome, Skerne Park and town centre areas of Darlington.
They appeared at Sedgefield Magistrates' Court, in Newton Aycliffe, at a special hearing on Saturday to face charges of being concerned in the supply of heroin and possession of the drug.
The charges all relate to the period between the months of April and August this year and follow a police undercover operation, codenamed Kama.
The operation climaxed in raids on a dozen houses involving 50 detectives and uniformed police officers.
Remanded in custody by magistrates until Friday were Kerry Emerson, 22, of Greenbank Road, Darlington, Paul Andrew Tomlinson, 26, also of Greenbank Road and Gary Spence, 28, of South Church, Bishop Auckland.
Four others were granted bail with conditions including reporting to police and to live and sleep at a specified address. They will return to the court on the same date.
They were Joanne O'Brien, 27, of Greenbank Road, Darlington, Keith Morgan, 20, of Crescent Road, Middlesbrough, Carl David Tervitt, 23, of Whitby Way, Darlington and Dean McFarlane, 24, of Napier Street, Darlington.
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