Ten Charged after Gateshead Drugs Seize
Drugs with a street value of £8M were seized by officers
Ten people have been charged and drugs with a street value of £8million have been seized by officers as part of a regional police operation.
On October 15, 2014, officers carried out a series of warrants in the Gateshead area. The activity was led by North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU) as part of Operation Valiant, an initiative that targets organised crime groups in the North East. Ten people were arrested during the operation and this week they have been charged. Five men (aged 25, 27, 29, 31, 44) and one woman (aged 43), all from the Gateshead area, have been charged with conspiracy to supply class ‘A’ controlled drugs and money laundering offences. Three men (aged 31, 37 and 50) from Liverpool have been charged with conspiracy to supply class ‘A’ controlled drugs and money laundering offences. A 41-year-old man from Gateshead has been charged with possession of Class ‘B’ Controlled Drug (Amphetamine) with intent to Supply. Drugs including cocaine, heroin, and amphetamine, with an approximate street value of £8 million were seized by officers along with £110,000 in cash,
It is believed the class A and class B drugs were destined for the communities within the North East Region.
All ten will next appear at Gateshead Magistrates Court on February 26.