Drug raid arrests final total 81

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At least 81 people have been arrested or reported as a result of three days of raids in Edinburgh connected to trade in illegal drugs.

Up to 40 people have already appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court from the first two days of the dawn raids.

Officers said that heroin, crack cocaine and cannabis were among the substances which had been seized.

A police spokeswoman said the operations had been designed to disrupt drug dealing networks.

Major blow

Det Ch Supt Iain Livingstone, of Lothian and Borders Police, was in charge of the three-day blitz.

He said: "These dealers didn't know what hit them when we started arresting them on Tuesday and our sustained effort has dealt a major blow to the drugs network in Edinburgh.

"This was an intelligence-led operation with many officers gathering painstaking information over the previous six months which resulted in this week's successes.

"These dealers have been making people's lives a misery in the city and it was important we, and our partner agencies, sent out a strong message that drug dealing will not be tolerated in Edinburgh.

"They have been preying on homeless, vulnerable and desperate individuals and threatening the very heart of our communities."

Areas of the city that were targeted included Oxgangs, Restalrig, Southside, Craigentinny, Slateford, Leith, Southside, Craigmillar, Drylaw, South Gyle and the city centre with 51 addresses being searched.