Five men arrested in Glasgow over Italian drug seizure

By *
Published on 30/11/2012 18:03

FIVE MEN have been arrested in Glasgow in connection with the seizure of heroin and cannabis worth over £4 million at an Italian port.

The men, aged between 29 and 56, were arrested over alleged involvement in the importation of controlled drugs.

The arrests come after a heavy goods vehicle was stopped at Bari on its way to the UK last week, and found to contain 41 kilograms of heroin and 105 kilograms of cannabis resin. Police said the heroin’s minimum street value is £3.2 million, which could increase “dramatically” depending on the purity of the drugs.

The lorry was seized following a joint operation between Italian authorities and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) on November 24.

That resulted in the seizure of the drugs and two males were arrested, one Scottish and one English, aged 30 and 42.

The two men arrested appeared in court yesterday in Bari, Italy, and were remanded in custody.

SCDEA director general Gordon Meldrum said: “This is a significant haul of drugs that were destined for Scotland’s shores.

“Through working with our Italian colleagues we have put a stop to these drugs causing harm to Scottish communities.

“The SCDEA and Scottish policing have a long reach and this operation highlights the ability for Scotland to operate far beyond our shores.

The operation was part of an ongoing SCDEA investigation.

The agency is currently preparing a report for the procurator fiscal in relation to the five Glasgow arrests.