Criminals looking to smuggle drugs via Heysham port are being warned that they are being watched following the seizure of £60,000 worth of cannabis.
Officers from Lancashire Constabulary’s port unit were carrying out routine checks on vehicles bound for the Isle of Man on Friday when a sniffer dog alerted them to the class B drugs. 60 nine-ounce bars, with an estimated street value of £60,000, were discovered in a spare tyre in the boot of a taxi.
40-year-old Darren Clayton, of Fordham Street, Liverpool, was charged with possession of cannabis with intent to supply and was due to appear before Lancaster Magistrates Court today (Monday.)
Lancashire Constabulary’s ports unit covers two major ports – the seaport at Heysham and Blackpool International Airport. It also has responsibility for numerous smaller ports and airfields throughout the county and monitors any sites that are used by aircraft or sea-going boats.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Brooks, Lancashire Police, said: “Criminals who try to take drugs in or out of the county via these sites should know that they are being watched and will be caught.
“We take the policing of our ports very seriously and will work with users and operators of our ports, other police forces and law enforcement agencies on both sides of the water to provide a visible and effective deterrent to cross border crime and to make sure that our busy ports are secure.”
Residents are asked to help tackle drug importation and exportation by reporting suspicious activity involving boats or aircraft, or around coastal areas to the police on 101. In an emergency always dial 999.