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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Paul Britton

Counterfeit Street 'drugs den' raided and condemned with seven arrests

A property suspected of being used as a 'drugs den' was raided and shut down with seven arrests made, police have revealed.

Officers from a specialist operation swooped on the building on Bury New Road on the outskirts of the city centre on Thursday, with images showing illicit prescription medication was seized.

Greater Manchester Police said the property was suspected of being used as a base by criminals to supply drugs.

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During the raid two men, aged 52 and 33, were arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs. A further three men - aged 43, 25 and 21 - were held on suspicion of conspiracy to supply drugs, together with a 17-year-old male. And on Friday, a 45-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the raid, held on suspicion of conspiracy to supply drugs

The force said Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service went on to deem the building unsafe and issued a full closure order.

The raid came as part of Operation Vulcan, launched to tackle organised crime in the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways areas and counterfeiting.

The drugs seized (GMP)

Detective Sergeant Matthew Donnelly said: "We all know the devastation that illegal drugs can bring to communities and Operation Vulcan is working hard to disrupt and dismantle the supply chains operating out of the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways area.

"The illegal supply of illicit prescription medication is also a key problem in the area and we are intent on tackling it. Misuse of prescription drugs can lead to fatal consequences and there have already been several cases where people have become seriously ill as a result of acquiring them illegally.

"People’s lives are being destroyed by the misuse of prescription drugs, and I can’t emphasise enough the dangers of taking these drugs without a relevant prescription and dosage guidance from a healthcare professional.

"We are routinely working with partners to monitor the drugs that officers are finding in communities."

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