Cocaine has been seized and six arrests have been made over two days by Northumbria Police.
Over the weekend officers carried out a series of tactical vehicle stops as part of the ongoing work to tackle serious and organised crime.
The activity was carried out as part of Project Adder, a government funded scheme that links police and local authority partners to tackle drug-related harm in the community.
Coordinated efforts saw three men arrested on Friday night after their suspicious looking vehicle was pulled over and searched on Hexham Road in Gateshead.
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After searching the car, officers recovered 36 wraps of cocaine, quantities of cash, and mobile phones, and took the driver and passenger into custody.
Two men, aged 21 and 22, were later charged with possession with intent to supply class A drugs and appeared at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Monday (November 28) where they were both remanded in custody until their next appearance.
A third man also aged 21 was released under investigation.
The following day another car was stopped on Prince Consort Road in Gateshead and three more men, aged between 17 and 33, were arrested in connection with drugs offences.
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The trio was also taken into custody and questioned but later released on bail.
Northumbria Police said: “Illicit drug supply is not a victimless crime as we know that the money made from the sale of these substances is funnelled back into further serious and organised crime, which ruins our communities.
“The groups who run these supply chains make money from selling highly addictive and harmful substances to vulnerable people, with little to no regard for the impact it has on their lives.
“This is why we work in tandem with the local authority and a host of other partners to tackle the issue from a variety of angles - from putting offenders before the courts, to ensuring those in need get the support they deserve.
“Massive thanks to the Project Adder team, Gateshead’s specialist Operation Vienna officers as well as the central Neighbourhood Support Team (NST) for their hard work. A brilliant result for our communities.”
To report suspicious activity, please use the ‘Tell us Something’ page on the Northumbria Police website.
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