Nearly £23,000 of drugs and £11,000 cash has been seized during a week-long crackdown in Aberdeen.
Police have been carrying out searches and patrols across the city and in Aberdeenshire, to tackle anti-social behaviour and drug use.
The operation is a collaboration between police, Aberdeen City Council, Turning Point Scotland and Alcohol and Drugs Action.
Officers have been canvassing the city this past week, visiting more than 2,000 addresses and being visibly present within the community.
In the past few days, officers have carried out several raids across Aberdeen, uncovering £22,960 worth of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and cannabis.
Officers have also seized more than £11,000 in cash with help provided to individuals from dedicated enforcement support teams.
British Transport Police have also been patrolling Aberdeen Railway Station and Aberdeen Bus Station, searching 143 trains and 33 buses.
A 19-year-old man was charged after officers seized a machete at the train station.
Detective Inspector Brian Buddo from British Transport Police’s County Lines Taskforce added: “As well as intercepting harmful drugs before they reach our communities, a key priority of ours is to identify and safeguard children exploited in this crime type to courier drugs via the railway.
‘Working in collaboration and offering people the right help’
“Across the days of intensive activity spanning the entirety of England and Scotland, we made a number of crucial safeguarding interventions.”
The operation aims to reduce the risk of people becoming involved in drugs and criminal behaviour whilst offering support.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “We all recognise that enforcement alone is not the solution to tackling the issues around drug-related harm.
“That is why it is so important we come together to work out the most effective intervention.
“This work is about people who may need support with addiction, it’s about vulnerable people who need protecting from those who would exploit them.
“The best way of achieving this is by working in collaboration and offering people the right help, the most appropriate advice and support before their life spirals out of control.”
Conversation