Officers arrest 16 in drug raids

Police say they are honouring their promise to communities

Sixteen people have been arrested in connection with the supply of heroin following police raids in Fife.

Fife Constabulary said its largest operation targeting Class A drugs also saw £4,500 of the drug and £1,000 of cash seized.

The operation on Monday involved 150 officers and support staff and the seizures take the amount of drugs netted by the force in 2006/7 to £2m.

The arrested people are due to appear at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday.

Operation Impact, which has been planned for six months, targeted houses in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Dunfermline and Ballingry.

Anti-social behaviour

Detective Inspector Neil Kerr, head of Fife Constabulary's drugs squad, said the aim was to "severely disrupt dealing" in communities.

He said: "We made a pledge at the beginning of this year to target the Kingdom's drug dealers and we have done everything we can to honour that promise.

"We are delighted with the success of this major operation and want to warn the dealers, it will not be the last."

Detective Superintendent Ian Hutton, head of crime management, said: "We will be liaising with our partners in the council's housing service to make full use of the anti-social behaviour legislation, particularly closure orders.

"This is intended to make it even more difficult for those we are targeting to return to business as usual."