Cocaine worth £100,000 found in Derry hedge

Cocaine with a street value of more than £100,000 (€147,500) has been found stuffed into a hedge in Co Derry, police revealed today.

The Class A drugs were discovered at Shanreagh Park, Limavady.

No arrests were made during the operation, police said.

The recovery was the latest in the war against a rising supply of cocaine in the North.

Even though cannabis is still the most widely seized drug, with one raid resulting in an £18m (€26.6m) haul being impounded last October, crimefighters have detected changes in the market.

The Organised Crime Task Force’s new threat assessment revealed cocaine to be the main growth area.

Gangs have become more involved in importation and distribution, the authority warned.

Police successes in taking cannabis off the streets are believed to be opening up an alternative market for cocaine.

Last month an inquest heard how a caravan park owner from Millisle, Co Down, collapsed and died after drinking a rare and deadly mix of cocaine and water.

Rodney Gray, 33, downed several glasses over a six-hour period in the first known case of its kind in the North.