Illegal drugs seized as homes are searched in ongoing police operation

Eight homes in Whiteness and Lerwick were searched by police on Friday as part of a crackdown on illegal drugs in the far north of Scotland. Shetland police said some suspected drugs were seized during their operation along with drug paraphernalia.

The raids involved 15 officers and the drug detection dogs belonging to the police and the local charity Dogs Against Drugs. In a new development, officers distributed letters to houses in some of the places they were searching to inform people about what they were doing and encourage the reporting of suspicious activity.

The raids were part of Operation Shield in Northern Constabulary which is intended to catch drug dealers. Other police raids took place in Caithness, Sutherland, Easter Ross and Orkney. The Shetland police also searched several people for drugs on Saturday evening while checking pubs and clubs in Lerwick and Scalloway accompanied by the drug dogs.

The local chief inspector David Bushell said the action taken on Friday and Saturday demonstrated that his force was committed to targeting people involved with drugs in Shetland.

He added: “I am aware that police action in carrying out these searches, that often require high numbers of officers, can cause anxiety in communities but I want to reassure people that our action is always done to improve community safety.”