Avon and Somerset Police in the local area have seized more than 20,000 cannabis plants and more than eight kilos of amphetamines throughout 2011.
Over seven kilos of cocaine and more than eight kilos of heroin has also been seized as well as more than 9,000 ecstasy tablets.
This success is down to a year of enforcement and proactive policing operations across the force area which has resulted in more than 6,000 arrests.
Operation Viscount has continued to run with teams tackling cannabis factories and raising awareness about their links with serious and organised crime.
This was highlighted in the summer when Avon and Somerset officers appeared on the BBC3 documentary “Cannabis: What’s the Harm?”
As a result of this programme a team of police officers from Sweden will be coming to the UK next year to learn more about Operation Viscount and the how the techniques can be used overseas.
During the first week of the campaign more than one million pounds worth of cannabis was seized and destroyed. Since then officers have executed an average of nine warrants per week.
At this year’s Glastonbury Festival police worked closely with festival organisers to ensure drugs were not tolerated at the event.
Police officers, together with forensic scientists and experts from the Home Office were able to work in partnership for the first time to perform fast track tests on ‘legal’ highs to see if they contained any potentially harmful components.
2011 also saw the force’s biggest seizure of mephedrone to date. Officers from the Serious Crime Group recovered 50 kilos of the substance after a vehicle stop in Bristol.
Operation Beacon has been set up in Bristol to tackle problems directly affecting the community. Officers are often accompanied by representatives from drug rehabilitation agencies on warrants in order to help users get treatment.
Drugs Strategy Manager Paul Bunt said: “Throughout 2011 we have continued to target drug dealers by utilising a variety of covert and overt tactics. The figures show that we are stopping more illegal drugs reaching the streets and some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
“Heroin and cocaine remain very dangerous drugs but the market is changing and we are seeing a move towards very powerful stimulant or ‘party’ drugs that mimic the effects of drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines.
“The market is becoming more diverse and with it we have seen the reintroduction of the ecstasy tablet. In the last three to four years most tablets sold as ecstasy have in fact been another less dangerous substance so our concerns are that people may underestimate the risks of taking the drug.
“However we are recognising these problems and are working hard to get the message across about the dangers of these substances. We are using all of the new legislation available to us to target so called legal highs and continue to clamp down on those responsible for selling them to young people.
“The message is simple, as well as damaging your health these drugs are also illegal. We will continue to arrest and bring to justice those responsible for their supply.”
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