UP to 70 crime gangs are active in the drugs trade in the north, the PSNI has warned.
Following news that drug seizures have hit a 10-year high, police revealed that officers are investigating around 50 to 70 gangs, with up to 130 people under particular scrutiny.
Among them are individuals with paramilitary links, people from the Republic and several other European nationals.
Recent PSNI figures show that from April 2015 to March 2016, police carried out 5,597 seizures, the bulk of which was cannabis and made 2,953 arrests.
Detective Chief Superintendent Andrea McMullan said organised crime "is a business"
Along with illegal drugs, police are seizing prescription drugs from the streets, which can prove deadly to casual users.
“These drugs are either being sold illegally by users receiving them on prescription or being sold over the internet or they may be counterfeit medication,” DCS Mullan said.
“Benzodiazepine is a factor in a large amount of drug-related deaths in Northern Ireland.”
