Monkey dust valued at £1.5m found in parked van in Staffordshire
Police have seized so-called monkey dust worth around £1.5 million after raiding a van linked to the supply of illegal drugs.
The haul of the Class B drug was found in the vehicle in the Longton area of Stoke-on-Trent earlier this month, Staffordshire Police said on Tuesday.
The force said in a statement that officers from its major and organised crime department, acting on intelligence, carried out a warrant on December 17, seizing a vehicle parked off Weston Coyney Road, near the junction of the A520.
The statement added: “Inside the vehicle, which we believed to be linked to the supply of monkey dust, we discovered about 25 kilograms of the synthetic cathinone.
“The proactive work comes as we continue our crackdown on the supply of illegal substances, including monkey dust, across Staffordshire.”
Superintendent Phil Bryan, who leads on Staffordshire’s dedicated operation targeting monkey dust, Operation Rivent, said: “This continues to be a force priority for us.
“We are determined to take robust action against anyone found to be involved in the supply of monkey dust in Staffordshire, while also helping the often vulnerable users of this substance to receive appropriate support from partners and the wider community.”
