POLICE took nearly £50,000 of illegal drugs off the streets and arrested 15 people during a series of raids in East Lothian last Friday.

Officers recovered more than £20,000 of heroin and £28,000 worth of other drugs – including MDMA, cocaine and amphetamine.

More than 90 officers were involved in raids as part of Operation Jigsaw, which has been targeting drug dealing in the county since November. Warrants were executed at nine addresses in Tranent, Musselburgh and Haddington, with one additional property searched.

The Courier joined officers as they headed out on Friday morning to give local drug dealers a rude awakening.

READ MORE: Police target drug dealers in raids

Chief Inspector Matt Paden, local area police commander for East Lothian, briefed the team before they departed, telling them the aim was not only to find drug dealers but to “disrupt” the supply of drugs in East Lothian communities.

He said that much of the information used to target addresses had come from members of the public, through Crimestoppers, and from the local knowledge of officers working in the communities.

Police dogs were used to search properties and surrounding land – and officers retrieved at least one bag of what they believed was crack cocaine which appeared to have been thrown from a window.

In Tranent, properties on Coal Neuk Court, McNeill Walk, Henderson Gardens, New Row and Lindores Drive were visited by officers. In Musselburgh, they targeted addresses at Old Course Gate, Park Terrace, Kilwinning Terrace, and Macbeth Moir Road, while an address on Riverside Drive in Haddington received a visit as well.

In total there were 15 arrests. Six people were arrested for outstanding warrants; four men, aged between 21 and 32, and four women, aged between 26 to 47, were arrested for drugs offences, with one of the women also charged in relation to firearms offences; and a 33-year-old man was arrested for possessing an offensive weapon. Police also seized three items under the Firearms Act.

Community officers later spoke to neighbours about the raids and leaflets were put through letterboxes to reassure people about the large police action.

Ch Insp Paden said: “The latest enforcement activity, which was supported by over 90 officers, was a great success, which saw over £50,000 worth of drugs being removed from communities across East Lothian.”

Anyone with information on drug crime can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”