Three due in Inverness court after £45,000 heroin seizure

THOUSANDS of pounds worth of heroin was seized in Inverness by cops at the weekend.

Three people are expected to appear at Inverness Sheriff Court today in connection with the seizure of the Class A drugs which have a estimated street value of £45,000.

It followed a police operation in the city on Saturday.

Last week it was revealed that almost £1 million worth of illegal drugs have been taken off Highlands and Islands' streets following several high profile drug busts by Northern Constabulary over the past 18 months.

From the beginning of April 2011 until the end of October this year officers have seized drugs which are estimated to be worth £918,000.

During the month of November alone Northern Constabulary seized approximately £60,000 worth of heroin from the streets of Inverness.

The past 18 months have also seen police seize £134,000 worth of cash in connection with criminal cases and under Proceeds of Crime Act legislation.

In the period between April 2011 and March this year there were a total of 2290 individual controlled drugs seizures made across the Highlands and Islands, 66 per cent of these involved Class B drugs.

Cannabis was the most commonly seized drug, accounting for 55 per cent of seizures. Other drugs seized in the Highlands and Islands consisted of diazepam, cocaine, amphetamine, diamorphine (heroin) and ecstasy.

During 2011/12 both the number of supply and possession charges increased compared to the previous year, highlighting an increase in police pro-activity.

The figures for possession in 2010/11 were 1534 compared to 1760 in 2011/12. The figure for the supply of drugs in 2010/11 was 298, compared to 465 in 2011/12.