Nine held after drugs swoop

Drugs worth more than £1 million were seized and nine people arrested in a major police operation in Northern Ireland and England.

Six kilos of cocaine, 22 kilos of speed and 20 kilos of herbal cannabis were recovered yesterday during a search of a lorry in Kilkeel, Co Down.

In follow-up searches in greater Belfast, six kilos of speed were seized with £100,000 cash in sterling and euro notes.

As part of the same Police Service of Northern Ireland led operation, Greater Manchester Police and Lancashire Police searched a house in Preston, where 20 kilos of speed were recovered.

A total of eight searches were carried out in Northern Ireland and five in England.

Five men were arrested in Northern Ireland while three men and one woman were arrested in England.

The three men taken into custody in England are being brought to Northern Ireland for questioning.

The PSNI officer in charge of the Operation, Det Supt Essie Adair said: "This has been a successful overt stage of a long term proactive investigation involving the PSNI and partner agencies against an organised crime gang which we believe was importing drugs into Northern Ireland."