£12.5k drugs haul — and it’s all down to you

HEROIN, cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis were recovered by police during a campaign targetting Oldham’s most crime- ridden communities.

Officers made 14 arrests during which drugs worth £12,500 were recovered — along with £93,000 in cash from suspected dealers, under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

A mobile police station has moved around the borough and officers also carried out roadside checks around drug crime hotspots during the campaign.

The campaign was organised by GMP’s Scorpion group which is geared towards fighting drug crime in a bid to make the public feel safer.

Detective Inspector Darren Meeks said: “Drug crime destroys communities and fuels a whole range of other crimes.

“Tackling this issue continues to be a priority as it is something that our communities tell us is important to them.

“A major success factor in the ongoing work to rid our neighbourhoods of this crime is the level of support and information we receive from local people about drug related activity in their area.

“All information that we receive is investigated and acted upon where appropriate, allowing us to target the people that blight these communities.

“We want to thank people for working with us and urge them to continue to provide us with information, either directly or anonymously through Crimestoppers.”

Officers in Oldham also have another new trick up their sleeves to assist them in the fight against drugs, with a number of new drugs torches, which can be used to detect traces of cocaine.

The devices look like ordinary torches, but when shone on a surface where cocaine has been present it lights up in a different colour.

The torches will be used to gather evidence against premises where drug-taking occurs by clearly showing surfaces used to take cocaine.

Officers will also be using the torches to check people entering bars and clubs, to deter people from using cocaine in the town centre.

Where the torch indicates a person has used cocaine, they will be searched and arrested if found to be in possession of the drug.

Detective Inspector Meeks added: “We are always on the lookout for new technology that gives us extra tools to investigate and detect crime. These torches will be put to good use and will allow us to seek out those who both use and sell illegal drugs in Oldham.”