Drug dealers ‘pedal human misery’

Chief Inspector Raymond Murray, who will become North Area Coordinator on April 1 when the policing districts change in line with the new council’s structures, said that drug dealers ‘pedal human misery’.

Speaking at a special briefing in Ballymoney last week, he said: “Drugs leave families devastated, parents without children and children without parents.”

He said that people buying drugs had to consider their ‘personal responsibility’. “Buying drugs funds crime, it funds criminals and in some cases paramilitaries. Those who buy drugs are providing a market for the dealers.”

He added that the community also needed to take responsibility by reporting anything suspicious to police.

The Commander pointed out that since the start of February, 63 arrests has been made in H District through Operation Torus.

Operation Torus is a policing initiative which deals with the issue of street level drug dealing across Northern Ireland. The campaign is designed to encourage reporting of drug dealing. Additional resources have been allocated to specifically target street level drug dealers across Northern Ireland.

Looking at the Coleraine area specifically, the Chief Superintendent revealed that since April last year 149 people had been arrested for drugs offences.

“People who use drugs must think about the decisions that they are making.

“Being charged with a drugs offence could have an impact on you for the rest of your life.

“It may hinder you from gaining work in the US, a conviction could also stop you from gaining employment here in Northern Ireland.”