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PSNI seize illegal cigarettes and drugs worth £200k

PSNI Police seizurePSNI
Illegal cigarettes, drugs and cash were seized during follow-up searches in south Belfast and Tandragee, County Armagh

More than 110,000 packets of illegal cigarettes and suspected Class B drugs worth an estimated £200,000 have been seized, police have said.

A 43-year-old man was arrested when a vehicle was stopped in the Ormeau area of south Belfast on Thursday.

Officers believe the cigarettes were smuggled into Northern Ireland.

They were found along with cash and the drugs during follow-up searches in south Belfast and Tandragee, County Armagh.

The man is being questioned by organised crime detectives.

Ch Insp Gavin Kirkpatrick said the discoveries are part of the PSNI's "commitment to removing dangerous drugs and harmful substances from our communities, thwarting the efforts of those criminals who are intent on profiting from the detrimental effects drug use causes in communities".

"The demand for drugs fuels the local criminal drug trade which causes irreparable damage and loss to many families," he added.