£2million of drugs off West Fife streets
Matt Meade • Published 11 Mar 2011 08:10
9 Comments
POLICE have lifted the lid on the "mayhem" that greets them when they smash down the doors of West Fife's drug dealers.
Police dogs, battering rams and even hydraulic pumps are used to get inside the often barricaded homes.
And once doors have been destroyed officers carry protective shields and wear helmets to deal with any violence they may face.
The details come from police who this week thanked the public for information leading to illegal drugs with a value of up to £2 MILLION being taken off West Fife's streets in the last 12 months.
The latest raid saw drugs with a street value of £2200 being seized at a house in Parkgate, Rosyth, on Friday night.
Police have continued to target dealers and hauls include:
A massive £1.5 MILLION of cocaine being seized at an undisclosed West Fife location in January leading to the arrest of two West Fife men.
Half a kilo of heroin worth £50,000 being seized in Inverkeithing leading to the arrest of a 33-year-old man last April.
A kilo of heroin also being seized in Inverkeithing the following day with a street value of £100,000.
Cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine, cannabis resin and herbal cannabis worth £4000 seized from two homes in Oakley in November leading to two arrests.
Jonathan Peebles, South West Fife community sergeant, who spent six years in the drugs squad, told the Press that many raids were like "going into the unknown".
He said, "It can be the case that there's mayhem because they've heard a bang at the door and more often than not these are early morning 'turns' so we often find people in bed or at the toilet disposing of drugs.
"On occasion we find people in the process of cutting up drugs for supply so they are caught red-handed.
"Once you go through that door you never know what you're going to find - you're going into the unknown."
Dealers who believe they can make their homes a drugs fortress are always in for a rude awakening.
Police have sophisticated methods to smash in reinforced doors with ease. Sgt Peebles continued, "We use simple tools like crowbars or (heavy metal battering) 'rams' which are sometimes called 'the big key' or 'the enforcer' but if there's intelligence the door may be barricaded we might look at something more sophisticated.
"For example, we might use a 'hydraulic rabbit'. A metal wedge is put between a door and door frame and we pump up the 'rabbit' to create pressure and expand the door frame from the door.
"If you think there's a particularly violent person in there, or a person who uses weapons, we'd take PSU (Police Support Unit) teams who wear shields and helmets. That's commonplace now.
"Method of Entry (MOE) officers force the door then the PSU guys run in and make the house secure and safe and get hold. Then plain clothes come in behind once the situation is under control."
Search teams will then arrive to look for drugs for hours in "obscure" places.
He continued, "We will shout 'Police' as we force entry in fairness to the people in the house so they know it's police and not someone breaking in.
"But not before that, because if the commodity you are there to search for is amphetamine, ecstasy, cocaine or other powdered drugs then they are easy to quickly dispose of."
When asked what message he'd pass on to the public about Fife police's work in the area of drugs he finished, "We're keen to stress to the public they can call Crimestoppers anonymously.
"It's only with the help of the public that we are able to execute these drug turns and have had the recent success we've achieved."
Rosyth councillor Douglas Chapman welcomed the latest drugs seizure in Rosyth.
He said, "We all know about the dangers of drugs.
"It's only by people working together and sharing information that the police can track down and hopefully see people who deal drugs brought to justice.
"I think it's very difficult for police in terms of making sure their intelligence is spot-on.
"The last thing they want to do is put officers into situations where they are not sure they can get a conviction. There must be lots of practical difficulties.
"The fact that we've got officers in Rosyth focusing on anti-social behaviour is another step in picking up intelligence about what's happening which helps in terms of their long-term strategy."
Anyone who thinks they have information on drug dealers in their area can call police on 0845 600 5702 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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******
Mar 11, 17:07
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MarkS
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Mar 15, 22:37
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Not Happy Jan
Unregistered User
Mar 16, 01:28
Report commentIt may be a drop in the Ocean, but it all helps.
I know the Working Classes need an escape from the drudgery that is their lives but drugs are not the answer. Some should try and get a job or take up a hobby. Once a dealer is identified, it should attract a minimum 15 years in prison.
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exfifer
Unregistered User
Mar 16, 08:24
Report commentactually jan, the most drug user do have jobs. The average drug user is middle class and highly(no pun intended))functioning and needs a steady income to fund the habit. the drug of choice for working class is booze and this is pimped out by the asda and tescos by the guidelines and control of the government who take a huge cut.
15 years for selling a bit of skunk, really? i think jan may need a rabbit. not the hoppy kind, but the vvvvmmmmmmm kind.
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******
Mar 16, 08:33
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Stew
Unregistered User
Mar 16, 12:05
Report commentexfifer, please don't feed the troll. It only encourages them (not that it takes much). The only other explanations are "issues" that should be addressed, or the possibility that Jan has popped out of a rent in space/time from a previous age when it was thought that children actually LIKED being up a chimney and forelocks had to be touched by "the lower orders" to their (supposed) "betters". Anyway, back to reality (having fed the troll myself)...... *damm*
Good point made there about alcohol. In my opinion this is probably as destructive as any of the alternatives due to social acceptance. It does, however form a very lucrative revenue stream to the government, so THAT'S ok then...
If 2 million pounds worth of drugs have been removed from circulation, then good work to those concerned. It may not solve the problems due to addiction and collateral criminality, but as said before here it helps. If the supply chain could be cut, then game over. A sense of realism says this would be a very difficult feat though.
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Not Happy Jan
Unregistered User
Mar 16, 20:36
Report commentLOL, I really do manage to get up the lower classes noses. How wonderful.
As for Stew.... well no point really with the IQ of a snake there is no hope for it!
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coward
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Mar 17, 12:20
Report commentNot Happy Jan - so 40 50 years into this 'prohibition' and drugs are easier to get than they where 50 years ago, cheeper than 50 years ago and we stop 1%, PROHIBITION HAS NEVER WORKED AND NEVER WILL, look at the al capone family, built on the alcohol prohibition, people need to wake up and realize the only solution to a MEDICAL PROBLEM is legalization and regulation, not locking people up for using their human rights, its a victimless crime.
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coward
Unregistered User
Mar 17, 12:38
Report commentAnd for Stew - 2 million pounds worth is not even worth calling a fraction, all this will be legal one day, once the government realize how much money is really involved, not millions, billions, monthly; in fact the drug trades net worth is double that of the FOTSE, wouldn't it be better to tax and regain something in society, not destroy peoples lives. All the crime relating to drugs IS ONLY FROM THE RISK AND ILLEGALITY, and dont say its their to protect us, i can go buy a bottle of vodka right now and die today; this is a outdated law, self funding by catching a few crooks here and there but all it does is open another door for someone else to make a killing. You need to look at the mexican cartels, we've destroyed their country due to our western world blind ignorance. There is not a single chance of ever stopping this trade; corruption will always exist in a monetary system end of.
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coward
Unregistered User
Mar 17, 12:52
Report commentI think we need to re think a few laws already... You can also make 25,000 products from hemp; the only reason its illegal is because you cant patent a plant. The world is based on money nothing else nothing more dont believe the bull about "all new high levels of THC"
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******
Mar 23, 00:02
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******
Mar 23, 00:04
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TAX AND RELAX
Unregistered User
Mar 23, 00:06
Report commentFAIR TRADE ON DRUGS. STOP MESSING UP COUNTRIES WHERE THEY ARE PRODUCED AND TAKE MONEY OUT OF DEALERS HANDS BY LEGALISATION. IF WE\\\'RE NOT HAPPY WITH OUR SITUATION CHANGE IT. WE MIGHT EVEN STOP ALL THE HARM CAUSED BY ALCOHOL.
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