Drugs will not be tolerated in pandemic Manchester, say police after four men arrested in Strangeways area

Four men were arrested and a large amount of cannabis was seized in the Strangeways area of Manchester as police attempt to tackle drug abuse during the pandemic.

Police executed a warrant at 7.30am on Thursday arresting four men aged between 29 and 47 on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and being involved in the supply of controlled substances.

Inspector Wignall said: “We currently have four people in custody and I hope that this serves as a stark reminder that GMP will absolutely not tolerate activity that encourages the purchase and consumption of drugs, particularly during a global pandemic.

“Drugs can blight communities and destroy lives, and the activity we suspect we have uncovered today only serves to fuel that destruction.”

The lockdown and following restrictions have had a negative effect on and mental health and has increased the likelihood of drug abuse, as well as making it harder for people struggling with addiction to get help.

Psychotherapist and addiction specialist Dave Cooper said: “There would definitely be a tendency towards greater dependence based on the fact that people are stuck indoors and restricted.

“I wouldn’t say that lockdown creates more addicts but dependence grows.

“And its not just the idea of not going out as well. It’s that some people have been badly affected financially and have lost their jobs.

“All of this affects dependence.”

Anyone struggling with drug addiction can visit www.changegrowlive.org for help and information.