POLICE RAIDS SNARE 100 DEALERS IN BLITZ ON DRUGS

POLICE said the crackdown was the biggest drugs operations in Scottish history

MORE than 100 drug dealers have been caught after what police say is
one of the biggest crackdowns ever staged in Scotland.

Hundreds of police officers took part in raids across Renfrewshire
and Inverclyde to strike at the heart of the supply chain.

Police today hailed the operation a huge success.

A total of 101 dealers, who are facing a total of 863 charges, have
been arrested. Drugs worth UKP154,860 were recovered and UKP112,241
in cash, although that figure is expected to soar as investigations continue.

In Renfrewshire, 71 dealers were arrested and 594 charges were made,
while UKP78,400 of cash was confiscated,UKP100,000 worth of drugs. In
Inverclyde 30 dealers were arrested, 269 charges brought, UKP33,841
of cash was confiscated UKP54,860 of drugs.

Of those arrested, 61 have already appeared in court and 18 have been
remanded in custody with the remainder being bailed. They are
expected to appear either at Paisley Sheriff Court or Greenock
Sheriff Court today and tomorrow.

Hugh Henry, Deputy Justice Minister, welcomed the operation which has
helped stamp out the "evil" trade of drugs.

He added: "I support the tough message that drug dealers won't be
tolerated in Renfrewshire. This has been an incredible effort but it
shows the scale of this evil trade."

The move comes as the Evening Times reveals the true extent of crime
by lifting the lid on the most violent streets in Glasgow.

Senior officers today revealed details of Operation Triplicate.

It was developed as a direct result of community concerns and
intelligence relating to those involved in the supply of class A drugs.

Superintendent Russell Irvine, deputy divisional commander, warned
this was not a one-off. He said: "In total, 80 homes and other
premises were raided by our teams with a significant amount of
controlled drugs recovered.

"Clearly this has been an ambitious operation, the scale of which has
never before been undertaken in Strathclyde. I can also assure you
that this is not a one-off operation."

Homes were searched in a number of areas in Paisley, including the
Ferguslie area, Johnstone, Renfrew and Erskine.

Detective Chief Inspector Robert Shaw, from Paisley CID, said:
"Following a series of dawn raids on two days last week and
yesterday, more than 500 officers raided a series of homes in areas
stretching across Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.

"Drug dealers impact adversely on the quality of life of everyone
living in this area."