SUSPECTED drugs with an estimated street value of £6.5 million have been seized by police.
It comes after a search of a premises in the Mallusk area of Newtownabbey on Monday morning. Detectives located and seized suspected cannabis, cocaine and ketamine concealed within food packaging.
The operation was carried out by the PSNI's Organised Crime Unit and Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, as part of the Joint Agency Task Force.
A 28-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B controlled drugs.
Detective Inspector Conor Sweeney said: “We believe the drugs on this seizure were intended to supply various markets across the UK. The Joint Agency Task Force was established with the aim of bringing a concerted and enhanced effort to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime.
"All partners within the Task Force are totally committed to working together to reduce the misery caused by drug smuggling and to dismantle the organised groups profiting from this type of criminality.
"It is not difficult to imagine the harm that would have been caused by this volume of drugs being dealt on street corners within our communities to vulnerable people, children and those with addictions issues.
“Nor is it difficult to imagine the mayhem that the organised criminals behind this would have wreaked with the millions of pounds of profit they potentially stood to make.
"I am delighted the drugs have been removed from circulation and that this income stream has been denied to the criminal network.
