Two men arrested after so-called legal highs seized in Wallsend
Police have arrested two men and seized a quantity of New Psychoactive Substances, formerly known as 'legal highs', using new legislation which came into force just last month. Officers have executed a search warrant at a house in St Julian Gardens in Wallsend today (Friday, June 10), they arrested two men and seized a large quantity of psychoactive substances together with a number of weapons, including knives, and a significant amount of cash and alcohol. Two men, aged 26 and 43, were arrested on suspicion of supplying psychoactive substances. Both men remain in custody, helping police with their enquiries. This activity comes after the Psychoactive Substances Act came into effect on May 26, which provides a blanket ban on the production, supply and importation of new psychoactive substances. It gives police powers to stop and search people, vehicles and vessels, enter and search premises in accordance with a warrant, and to seize and destroy psychoactive substances. While the new act does not criminalise simple possession of psychoactive substances it is an offence to possess them with intent to supply them to others. It is also an offence to import them (eg by buying them from a foreign website). Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Vera Baird, said: "I have long campaigned for new powers for law enforcement to tackle this issue, and I am pleased to see this new legislation is being put to good use by our neighbourhood teams here in Northumbria. "New psychoactive substances are absolutely not safe and I remain fully committed to ensuring our officers do all they can to remove these substances from our streets and ensure those responsible for selling them are put before the courts.” Superintendent Mick Paterson, of Northern Area Command, said: "This action today shows that we are taking the new legislation seriously and will enforce the law where there is evidence to do so. "We know that substances so-called 'legal highs' do cause great harm in our communities and now that the supply of them to others has been made illegal we are determined to do all we can to prevent them being sold on and potentially harming people in our neighbourhoods. "We want to thank the community who have helped us by coming forward with information which has enabled us to carry out this activity today. "I want to encourage people to come forward and speak to officers if they have concerns about people selling legal high substances, or any other drugs in their communities, so we can deal with them." Anyone with information about people involved in the legal high's drug trade should contact police on 101, or ring the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Local neighbourhood officers are in the area keeping local people updated with this policing activity.