Further arrests made into crackdown on prescription pills conspiracy

Specialist officers raided three Wearside addresses linked to the importation of various Class C drugs from India – seizing 22,000 pills and arresting four people as part of Operation Fresno in May this year.

And last week, officers from the North East Regional Special Operations Unit (NERSOU) executed a further warrant in connection with the conspiracy in Rochdale.

Two men, aged 34 and 28, and a 22-year-old woman were all arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class C Drugs.

Inquiries into the conspiracy are ongoing- but police have issued a warning to anyone considering buying drugs such as Alprazolam – better known by its brand name Xanax, and Zopiclone – a sleeping pill used to help with conditions like anxiety, on the black market.

Detective Sgt Hayley Douglass, from NERSOU’s disruption team said: “It is really disturbing that criminals try and make money from illegally supplying medicines as they do not give a single thought to the health or wellbeing of the people who are buying them.

“These types of medication drugs could have harmful or potentially fatal consequences if taken by someone they are not prescribed to and sadly they often end up in the hands of some of our most vulnerable.

“Our investigation remains ongoing and under the regional banner of Operation Sentinel, we will continue to do all we can to keep our communities safe.

“We would ask anyone who sees prescription drugs being sold in this illicit way, or who are offered them, to immediately get in touch.”

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Kim McGuinness, added: “While the dark world of drug dealing is going on, there are teams of officers right across the North East working day in day out to catch those responsible.

"These ongoing operations show that we want to get in there and disrupt the chain and do everything we can to stop these people and keep our region safe.”

The 34-year-old man and the woman were released under investigation and the 28-year-old man was recalled to prison.

Anyone with information about the illegal sale or supply of drugs can report this on the Northumbria Police website or via independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously.

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Sunderland Echo website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app.

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here.

Thank you.