VIDEO More than 20 police officers with sniffer dogs descended on Ipswich train station as part of a drugs crackdown.In a bid to catch class A drug dealers the officers patrolled the platform for several hours with specially-trained dogs alerting police to people potential carrying drugs.
MORE than 20 police officers with sniffer dogs descended on Ipswich train station as part of a drugs crackdown.
In a bid to catch class A drug dealers the officers patrolled the platform for several hours last night with specially-trained dogs alerting police to people potential carrying drugs.
In total arrests were made as a result of the joint operation between British Transport Police and Suffolk police, including a man caught carrying around five ounces of cannabis.
Police said last night's operation came in response to intelligence information that shows the rail network running from London to Ipswich and through to Norwich, is being used to courier hard drugs.
Sergeant John White of British Transport Police said: “We have received good information that there are quantities of Class A drugs being couriered between Ipswich and London on the rail network.
“This operation aims to target specifically persons suspected of dealing Class A drugs.
“It is part of a programme of operations.
“We have performed a similar operation over two days in Norwich and will be looking at other stations between here and Norwich in the future.”
Sgt White said the sniffer dogs alert their handler to people who may be in possession of drugs.
Officers then speak to the person involved and may carry out a search.
He added that the dogs' noses are so sensitive they can detect traces of drugs on people who may have been in contact with illegal substances recently but have nothing on them.
A major crackdown is already under way in a bid to nail London drug dealers attempting to find a new market in Ipswich.
The police operation - codenamed Academy - has resulted in more than 100 arrests and has netted more than 1,100 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine.
n.Do you think deploying sniffer dogs at train stations is a good way of tackling the drug dealing? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
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