TWO suspected drug dealers have been snared by police after they stopped on the motorway – carrying £20,000 of Class A drugs.

At 12.10pm on Wednesday officers from Northumbria Police’s Motor Patrols Department spotted a vehicle believed to be linked to criminality heading northbound on the A1.

In an un-marked police car, the cops discreetly followed the Ford Focus through the Tyne Tunnel until it came to a stop in a lay-by.

It was then that the officers swooped in to action, confronting the two male occupants and telling them they were conducting a search of the vehicle.

But it wasn’t long before for the men were in custody after police uncovered an estimated £20,000 of Class A drugs stashed in a rucksack.

Two suspects, aged 42 and 31, were arrested and appeared in court yesterday charged with possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply.

Chief Inspector Amanda Dumighan, of Northumbria Police’s Harm Reduction and Intelligence team, has praised officers for their seamless intervention.

She said: “Cutting off the supply chain is key to keeping drugs off our streets and keeping communities safe.

“Many dealers use the region’s roads networks to transport their goods, but we have eyes everywhere and just because you can’t see a physical police presence, doesn’t mean we’re not watching.

“In this case, the car was suspected to have links to organised crime and was on our watch list.

“We are committed to tackling illegal drug supply under the banner of Operation Sentinel, our dedicated initiative to tackling organised crime.

“But we need your support. If you know anyone who is involved in organised crime, or the supply of illegal substances, then please let us know so we can keep our communities safe.”

To report drug dealing in your area, or to report suspicious behaviour, use the ‘Tell us the Something’ page on Northumbria Police’s website.

Alternatively you can call 101 or contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.