Two men are expected to appear in court today after nearly £70,000 worth of cannabis was seized from a car in Speyside.
Police swooped on the car at Marypark, between Aberlour and Ballindalloch, on Tuesday after receiving a tip-off.
Officers from the local CID, roads policing unit and violence reduction unit joined forces to carefully plan out the operation that led to the recovery of the Class B drug, which has a street value of about £68,000.
They stopped the vehicle at 7.30pm on Tuesday night.
Two men, aged 34 and 23, have been remanded in custody following the discovery, and are expected to appear at Elgin Sheriff Court today.
Speyside Glenlivet councillor Mike McConnachie welcomed the increased measures that were being taken to thwart the use of drugs in the area.
Mr McConnachie, who is also a member of the council’s police and fire and rescue services committee, said the bust would send a message to dealers operating in Moray and across the north.
He added: “Dealers targeting Moray can come from anywhere, and you have to imagine that a recovery of this size will have a big impact on whatever operations are going on.
“Drugs crime may not be as serious in Moray as it is elsewhere in the country, but plenty people here have had problems with it.
“I definitely welcome these arrests, and am pleased to see the police taking such a proactive approach in making this a no-go area for dealers.”
And last night, the Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs (SFAD) charity hailed the benefits of removing the haul from the streets.
A spokesman for the group said: “Cannabis can often be seen as a gateway drug that leads users to harder substances.
“But it causes a lot of problems for families in its own right.
“Prolonged use of the drug can have a serious effect on people’s mental health, and that has been evidenced.
“So we welcome anything that police can do to reduce the risk of people becoming long-term cannabis users.”