20 HELD IN FIRST BLITZ ON CRACK DEALERS; pounds 65,000 in drugs and cash seized.

Byline: MARIE SHARP

POLICE have smashed crack-cocaine dealing networks in their first big blitz against the deadly drug in Scotland.

The massive operation was launched after police chiefs became alarmed at the widespread availability of crack in Edinburgh.

Around 70 officers swooped on homes in the capital and across the Lothians.

They seized pounds 40,000 in drugs, mostly crack and heroin. A total of 20 people were arrested and charged with various drug offences.

The haul also included more than pounds 25,000 in cash.

Yesterday, a police source said: "The cash we seized shows the crack dealers have been busy."

The weekend raids were part of Operation Foil, a zero-tolerance campaign against Class-A drugs.

Earlier this year, Lothian and Borders Police were praised by the National Criminal Intelligence Service for the way they tackled Yardie criminals in Edinburgh.

But after the latest operation, drugs squad officers were concerned to find more criminals with Caribbean links trying to exploit the drugs market.

One senior detective said: "It comes down to profit.

"These are people who have been living in Edinburgh who have come from elsewhere and have connections in England and the Caribbean.

"We've learned from the problems with crack in Grampian and in London.

"We moved on it very quickly to disrupt and dismantle the networks these people had in place

"But we are not complacent and operations will continue."

Lothian and Borders Deputy Chief Constable Tom Wood said tackling crack cocaine was difficult.

He said: "It comes into Scotland from the clearing house in the north of England as cocaine.

"It's made into crack after arriving here and very quickly sold on and consumed. That gives us a very short window of opportunity to get people with dealer amounts of the drug.

"We have disrupted the supply network. That will be temporary - but we'll remain alert."