Police complete 'unprecedented' crackdown on Aberdeen drug dealers

Published on Friday 13 March 2009 10:09

A major two-week drugs crackdown saw more than 150 suspected dealers arrested, police said today.

Operation Lochnagar saw raids carried out across Aberdeen and was the largest enforcement in the history of Grampian Police.

The campaign began almost two weeks ago and was aimed at street-level dealers, with an average of 100 officers involved each day.

It came in response to increasing public concern over Aberdeen's heroin and crack cocaine industry and anti-social behaviour in the city.

The enforcement stage of the campaign will now be scaled down, but the force said it will continue to target dealers and to work with communities.

In the past fortnight, 151 people were taken into custody and 102 search warrants executed.

The force said "significant" quantities of cash were seized, along with 77,000 worth of drugs including heroin and crack cocaine. Fifteen weapons were seized, including swords and nunchucks.

Police visited 1,600 addresses with crime prevention leaflets, while 250 people were spoken to during uniformed patrols. Detective Superintendent Campbell Thomson said: "The effort from staff during Operation Lochnagar has been excellent.

"Although success in the short term may be measured by the very positive results, anyone who believes Grampian Police will no longer continue to target drug dealers is very much mistaken."