Four Plymouth people charged following heroin investigation

Three men and a woman from Plymouth have been charged – and a further five people arrested in Merseyside – as part of an investigation into organised crime.

Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Team (SOCIT), working in conjunction with Merseyside Police executed a handful of search warrants at addresses across Plymouth and Merseyside yesterday morning.

Patrick White and John Ward both aged 18, and Wayne Harle-Stephens, aged 55, all from Plymouth have been charged with conspiracy to supply controlled drugs and remain in custody to appear before Plymouth Magistrates Court today.

Lisa Copeland, aged 44, also from Plymouth has been charged with being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs and has been released on bail to appear before Plymouth Magistrates Court on June 27th.

Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk

myprint-247

View details

Print voucher

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013

The arrests have followed a lengthy and on-going inquiry into the supply and distribution of heroin – codenamed Operation Rio – which is understood to have seen the class A drug delivered to Plymouth and large sums of money transported back up north.

In addition to the arrests in Plymouth, officers have also arrested four men – aged 48, 31, 27 and 23 – and a woman aged 42 in the Merseyside area.

Detectives from Devon and Cornwall Police’s SOCIT team led the investigation and undertook the interviewing of those arrested in both areas.

It is understood officers also seized a four-figure sum of cash and suspected drugs – including crack cocaine and heroin – along with around eight kilos of a cutting agent, used to bulk out drugs before distribution.