SEVEN men have appeared in court on suspicion of a catalogue of drug offences, following police dawn raids across the country.
The men – aged between 31 and 48 – were arrested by Merseyside Police’s Matrix squad.
It followed a 12-month operation which also involved Scottish drug enforcement agencies and targeted 18 addresses across the country.
Seizures included £350,000 of heroin, several thousand Ecstasy tablets and rotary manufacturing machinery used to produce tablets.
More than £50,000 of cocaine and cannabis was also seized.
Fourteen people were arrested and seven of them faced Liverpool Magistrates Court yesterday and will appear at Liverpool Crown Court on January 25. They were:
Peter Cunningham, 32, of Alton Avenue, Litherland, conspiracy to produce Class B controlled drugs.
Alan Dunn, 48, of King Avenue, Bootle, conspiracy to produce Class C controlled drugs.
Keith Johnson, 32, of Walton Breck Road, Anfield, conspiracy to produce Class C controlled drugs.
Karl Marais, 31, of Chester Avenue, Netherton, conspiracy to produce Class C controlled drugs and conspiracy to supply cocaine.
Jamie Newall, 34, of Oxford House, Bootle, conspiracy to produce Class C controlled drugs.
Christopher Rimmer, 35, of Vauxhall Crescent, Bootle, conspiracy to produce Class C controlled drugs.
Peter Williams, 44, of Chapel Gardens, Vauxhall, conspiracy to supply heroin.
A 31-year-old woman from Netherton and a 21-year-old man from Bootle were police bail pending further enquiries.
A 38-year-old woman from Netherton, arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled drug, was given a caution.
Two women, aged 31 and 51, from Litherland, have been released without charge and a 34-year-old man from Lydiate remains in custody.
