Three men charged after cocaine worth £1m seized in West Lothian

Three men charged after cocaine worth £1m seized in West Lothian

Police in West Lothian have arrested three men in connection with serious and organised crime and drugs offences, following the seizure of cocaine worth £1m. A 54-year-old woman was also taken into custody in relation to the case but was later released pending further investigation. The arrest warrants were carried out on Thursday as part of Operation Silhouette, centralised by the Serious and Organised Crime Unit. Officers in West Calder, Livingston, Polbeth and Fauldhouse helped recover 21.5kg of cocaine, plus £80,000 during the joint operation.

Due to the severity of the charges, the three men will remain in custody and are scheduled to appear at the Livingston Sheriff Court on Monday. The recovered cocaine has an estimated street value of £1m. The success of the operation can be attributed to the work of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy, which were implemented by Operation Silhouette to target drug trafficking in Scotland.

Det Supt Steven Elliott, while addressing the press, called the apprehension of the suspects a significant success and another step towards blocking and breaking up drug supply chains. He talked about how his team works tirelessly to protect the wider public from the consequences of drug-related issues. “This is vitally important in addressing the concerns of local people”, he said. Elliott further stressed on the critical role played by the public in providing valuable information and support towards the Police, encouraging anyone with information to come forward using the contact details provided.

The police and Crime and Drug Enforcement Agencies continue to show their determination to fight drug-related crimes through Operations such as the recent Silhouette. Such events demonstrate the agencies’ commitment to reducing the harmful effects of drug abuse in society. Through such efforts, Scotland’s authorities continue to discourage and interrupt organised crime and narcotics

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