DRUGS SEIZED IN GANG BLITZ

The war against drugs gangs in South and Mid Wales is being stepped up after
the seizure of more than half a million pounds worth of cocaine last
weekend.

Three police forces, South Wales, Gwent and Dyfed Powys, have launched
Operation Tarian - "shield" in Welsh - a blitz on organised crime gangs.

The three forces have applied for UKP2.7million from the Home Office and
Welsh Assembly to implement a strategy to stop them.

The cocaine seizure is the latest in a series of successful operations which
were revealed at a press conference in South Wales.

Police have seized guns and a huge amount of ecstasy tablets as well as
heroin, cocaine and crack.

"In the last month we have seized more heroin and cocaine than we did in the
whole of the year 2000," said the officer leading the crackdown, Assistant
Chief Constable David Francis.

Armed response units are now being set up to target violent gangs flooding
the region with drugs from Birmingham and Bristol.

Detective Sergeant Mike George said heroin seizures had increased by 50 per
cent.