Three arrested after haul of crack cocaine and heroin found in car stopped by police in Northumberland

The three men, aged 38, 37 and 30, were arrested on Thursday, April 23 after a Renault Clio was stopped on the Spine Road in Northumberland as officers were concerned it was involved in organised crime.

A search of the vehicle was then carried out by sniffer dog PD Kipper who uncovered a haul of suspected crack cocaine and heroin in the possession of the front seat passenger.

The 38-year-old passenger was arrested alongside the 37-year-old driver and another 30-year-old passenger.

The arrests followed work by officers in Northumberland who had been gathering intelligence on a number of individuals suspected to be involved in drug dealing and had identified a number of vehicles linked to suspected criminality.

A top cop has today (Monday, April 27) praised the teamwork of the officers that resulted in the three men being brought into police custody.

Chief Inspector Ron Charlton said: “The roads may be quieter but we know they are still being used by those involved in organised crime.

“This presents us with an opportunity to target our activity based on intelligence that we’re receiving from some of our expert analysts.

“On this occasion we have done just that and our colleagues in Operation Dragoon have been able to locate a vehicle previously linked to suspected criminality.

“They have pulled it over and then it was over to PD Kipper who led officers straight to a haul of Class A drugs.

“It was an all-round excellent piece of police work and shows how well different teams work together to tackle and disrupt organised crime.

“We will continue this work under the banner of Operation Sentinel and would ask anyone with information about criminality to get in touch.”

The 38-year-old man has since been charged with two counts of possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply and is set to appear before North Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The other two men - aged 37 and 30 - have since been released under investigation.

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