Three people in court over drugs swoop in Blantyre

Jan 28 2010 by Chris Clements, Hamilton Advertiser

Drugs swoop lands heroin and diazepam stash worth estimated £35,800

THREE people were expected to appear at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week in connection with a drugs haul in Blantyre.

Police recovered a quantity of drugs from an upstairs flat in Small Crescent, Blantyre, on Monday evening.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Strathclyde Police announced the discovery after cops with a warrant search the property at around 9.20pm the previous night.

The drugs haul is believed to be a quantity of heroin and diazepam and has an estimated combined street value of £35,800. A four-figure sum of cash was also found.

On Tuesday, neighbours said that the police operation had caused little disturbance in the quiet street. One woman said: “I saw a police car parked outside one of the blocks up the street last night.

“To be honest, I didn’t think anything of it, and didn’t know about any arrests until now.”

In recent years, the Advertiser has reported on many drugs busts across the county, including incidents in Blantyre and Hamilton.

In 2008, cops arrested 79 people after a major blitz on drug dealers across the Hamilton area.

Officers nabbed 71 people for being in possession of drugs when they raided homes in Hamilton, Blantyre and Larkhall.

A further eight people were apprehended for supplying drugs.

Later that year, almost 2000 cannabis plants worth an estimated street value of £679,000 were found in three raids in Lanarkshire.

Officers found 1950 cannabis plants when they swooped on homes in Blantyre, Bellshill and Shotts over three days in October 2008.

In Blantyre alone, police found at least 1600 immature cannabis plants worth a street value of up to £579,000 after searching a bungalow in Broompark Road.

l Two males, aged 30 and 28 years old, and a 29-year-old female were arrested at the scene on Monday. They were detained in police custody and were expected to appear at court yesterday (Wednesday).