Police are taking a sniffer dog to Cornish pubs to crack down on illegal drugs

Police have cracked down on drugs used in Saltash and Liskeard pubs. Police teams carried out Operation PAD (Pubs Against Drugs) on Friday (June 7) to disrupt recreational drug use in pubs.

The aim of this was to discourage members of the public from using, carrying or supplying drugs on a night out, to educate members of the public about the legal and personal consequences of carrying and using illegal drugs and to support local offices authorized to consolidate the Law. By conducting such operations, local drug networks are disrupted and police can gather evidence to identify, investigate and prosecute criminals.

Teams from Saltash, Liskeard, Torpoint and Looe were joined by Police Dog (PD) Skye, her handler Police Constable (PC) Steve Waters, Police Licensing Officer Nicola Henderson and plainclothes officers.

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Sergeant Dan Lewis, who led the operation, said: “We decided to carry out this operation to crack down on drugs to make our pubs safer. We acted on information gathered from anonymous reports and direct contact with pub owners in the city.

“This has helped us get a real understanding of the extent of illegal drugs on a typical Friday night in Saltash and other local towns, which helps us better target resources to tackle the drug problem head-on. “

As part of the operation, the team visited seven licensed premises, five in Saltash and two in Liskeard. Later in the evening, the team revisited two places to maintain vigilance.

Plainclothes officers were strategically placed in each pub to identify members of the public who acted suspiciously or actively avoided Skye PD, who were then searched by officers. PD Skye was there to detect the presence of illegal drugs by walking past members of the public and alerting his handler, PC Waters, when he spotted the smell.

In a statement, Devon and Cornwall Police said: “A total of seven searches were carried out following a tip-off from Skye Police or suspicious behavior detected by plainclothes officers when Skye Police entered the premises. Of the seven searches, three were positive, leading to the seizure of the suspected drugs and the removal of the person searched.

“The three individuals who were found to be carrying suspected illegal drugs have been asked to participate in a voluntary interview under caution at a later date after the seized items are tested. This operation also allowed officers to join Police Licensing Officer Nicola Henderson in drug-wiping all toilets at each premises to detect the presence of drug residue such as cocaine and to check if each location complies with the regulations.

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“Of the 14 toilets tested with drug wipes, eight indicated a positive result, which was passed on to each site manager. Officers discovered two individuals under the age of 18 drinking alcohol that they brought to a location, which led to the two. minors being removed and alcohol being confiscated by officers.

“Following this, the police licensing team will return to the venue to carry out ‘Challenge 25’ training and support the venue to implement a new policy to prevent under 18s from entering the premises after a certain time.

Sergeant Lewis continued: “We are really pleased that by carrying out this operation we have removed suspected drugs from local pubs, provided reassurance to the community and engaged with local people. It is often easy to overlook smaller towns and more rural areas when it comes to drug use and supply, and our police teams remain committed to tackling drugs to minimize the risk of harm to people who live and work in the communities our.

“Drug use and supply is linked to a multitude of different crimes such as theft, dangerous driving offences, violence against women and girls and violent crime, all of which have a significant negative impact on the wider community.”

Nicola Henderson, Police Licensing Officer, said: “It is important that Devon and Cornwall Police continue to work closely with licensees to prevent and deter drug use and drug supply on premises. reducing the impact of drug-related crime and disorder on the evening and night-time economy.

“We will continue to ask licensees to work with us by remaining vigilant to the effect of drugs and doing everything they can to deter drugs and the supply of drugs on premises.”

Sergeant Lewis commented: “Members of the public were really co-operative with the officers and Skye PD and understood that we were there to promote a safe environment. Operations like this give us a great opportunity to have honest conversations with members of the public and raise awareness of the risks of drug transport, use or supply.

“We plan to run similar action nights in the future to further protect the community by getting drugs off our streets, support local pubs with any issues they face and reinforce the message that we do not tolerate use or supply. of illegal drugs.”

Sergeant Lewis added: “We will continue to work with local businesses, licensed premises, communities and our partner agencies to tackle drug use and supply. We urge the public to share any information regarding illegal drugs with us to support our commitment to making our communities safer.”

It is illegal to carry, take or supply illegal drugs, with penalties ranging from up to two years in prison for possession of Class C drugs to life imprisonment, an unlimited fine or both for supplying and producing Class C drugs A. drugs. For more information, visit the Government website.

If you want to share information about drug use or supply in your community, contact the police via our website or report it anonymously using Crimestoppers.

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