Police seize large drugs haul in north Northumberland

The eagle-eyed PC was travelling along the A1 near Belford just after 7am when a car with three occupants roused his suspicions.

The driver was signalled to pull over and a search of the car unearthed a large quantity of cannabis and cash.

The occupants – a 24-year-old woman and two men, aged 31 and 47 – were all arrested on suspicion of drug related offences and taken into custody.

Officers subsequently searched four associated addresses and uncovered further quantities of cannabis.

Superintendent Sam Rennison of Northumbria Police said: “This particular officer was due to clock off and was driving back to the police station when he spotted something he didn’t feel was quite right on our rural roads.

“Thanks to his instincts and dedication, several people suspected to be using our rural roads to ferry Class B drugs around the region were stopped in their tracks and spent their day in our cells.

“Their intervention has now resulted in a large quantity of drugs and cash being seized – our latest success under the Forcewide banner of Operation Sentinel.”

She added: “Rural Northumberland is a vast area and there’s only one way for law breakers to move around our region with ease – that’s by using our rural roads.

“We are focusing our activities around criminal use of the roads in our rural communities and this is one of a number of recent arrests and vehicle seizures as a result of increased patrols.

“By focusing efforts onto our road networks we can both reduce crime through disruption as well as improve road safety.

“So let that be a warning to anyone who seeks to abuse our rural roads – we’re watching.”

All those arrested remain under investigation with enquiries ongoing.

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