POLICE have praised tip-offs from the public that have led to seizures of suspected illegal drugs and other suspicious items from over 20 premises locally within the last month.

In the latest raids, carried out on Saturday, officers from the Fermanagh and Omagh District Support Team, supported by Tactical Support Group officers, carried out a number of searches in the Enniskillen area.

The PSNI said that a 48-year-old male was arrested on a number of drug offences after the officers found a quantity of suspected Class B drugs.

In a post on the Fermanagh PSNI Facebook page last week, it was revealed that the local District Support Team and Fermanagh Neighbourhood Team had searched 20 premises in Enniskillen, Lisnaskea, Maguiresbridge, Newtownbutler, Kinawley, Belleek and Omagh during the previous two to three weeks.

The PSNI said that the searches were carried out based on information received from the public regarding drugs, counterfeit goods and proceeds of crime.

The Facebook post stated: “From these searches there have been numerous arrests and detections ranging from abstracting electricity, possession and supply of various controlled drugs including suspected cocaine, cannabis resin, herbal cannabis, cultivating cannabis as well as prescription drugs!”

PSNI Chief Inspector Beatty said that, with the support of the community, police had developed the information into “actionable intelligence”.

The Chief Inspector said: “Every PSNI officer remains determined to detect crime, protect people and prevent harm, but police need the continued support of every citizen and asks that the community continues to tell the police all they know about the drugs in their area. Together, we can take drugs off our streets and protect our community from the devastation and destruction these illegal substances can cause.”