Police pursuit ends with three men arrested over drugs find

The drama unfolded after a black Volkswagen Passat failed to stop for police in the Kiltyclogher Road area of Cookstown at around 1.30pm.

Police pursued the car into the Dungannon area, where an officer was injured as she tried to approach the vehicle on foot at Circular Road. The officer was briefly dragged by the car, sustaining an injury to her arm.

As the car sped off, a bag, found to contain a large quantity of suspected cannabis, was thrown from the vehicle. The car was found abandoned on the M1 near the Moira roundabout, its occupants having allegedly forced a passing van-driver to take them to Crumlin, where police made their arrests.

Inspector Gavin Sterling said on Tuesday: “The suspects, who are aged 27, 27 and 28, remain in custody assisting us with our enquiries.

“Officers from the District Support Team, along with Local Policing Team officers from both Cookstown and Dungannon, were involved in both the initial pursuit and subsequent arrest of these individuals.

“Their efforts were supported by colleagues in the PSNI helicopter. The Passat has now been seized for examination along with the bag thrown from the car.

“At this time we would estimate the drugs the bag contained, namely cannabis, to have a street value of around £10,000.

“The female officer injured in Dungannon received medical treatment and was back on duty this morning.”

Anyone with information that could assist the police investigation is asked to contact detectives in Reactive and Organised Crime, Cookstown, by calling 101.