£12.5m heroin swoop (Scotland)

[Lunar Loops]

This from The Evening Times (Scotland):

£12.5m heroin swoop

by Chris Musson

ELITE drug squad police have made one of Glasgow's biggest heroin seizures.
A total of 157kg (more than 24 stones) of the Class A substance - with a street value of £12.5million - has been recovered from industrial units just off the M8 during a secret operation over the past two days.
Officers from the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency swooped at the Blochairn Fruitmarket on Tuesday afternoon.
advertisement

The haul, piled in containers within concrete storage units, was more than double the amount of Class A drugs seized by the agency in the whole of last year.
More than 50,000 pills, thought to be ecstasy or valium, were also found.
Graeme Pearson, head of the agency, said: "This is likely to have a significant impact on the supply of heroin to west Scotland and the rest of the country."
It is understood the heroin had been brought to the fruitmarket from the continent in recent weeks.
The area, just off Junction 14 of the M8, is an industrial zone lined with dozens of storage units used by wholesalers.
Some had become suspicious of the numbers of small shipments being dropped off by wagons at a particular point and tip-offs from workers are thought to have helped detectives.
Robert Wright, 44, of Ladyloan Avenue, Drumchapel, appeared in court yesterday and was remanded after being charged with offences relating to the alleged possession of heroin with a street value in excess of £12m, with intent to supply.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency's annual report, released today, details how 77kg (12st) of Class A drugs were seized by its officers in the 12 months from April 2006.
And major successes in the courts included: lThe conviction in April of Jamie "The Iceman" Stevenson, from Burnside, Lanarkshire, who was said to be Scotland's No 1 crimelord.
lIn December, Craig McAteer, 37, of Bothwell, Lanarkshire, was jailed for five years for being concerned in the supply of £237,000 of cocaine.
lIn November, Alexander Donnelly, 50, of Wallacewell Crescent, Balornock, Glasgow, was jailed for 10 years for cocaine trafficking between Scotland, Manchester and London.
The agency is based near Glasgow Airport and has 300 staff, including specialist detectives and forensic accountants.
Now Mr Pearson, its director general, wants more officers to build on the current success.
He said: "The new Scottish government said it wanted to provide 1000 extra police officers. I would hope the SCDEA could get 150 of those."