EIGHT people were arrested and drugs and property valued at £240,000 was seized in a series of dawn raids by police in the Burnley and Nelson area.

One of the addresses raided was Harle Syke Post Office, in Burnley Road, Briercliffe, which has now been closed.

The arrests were part of Operation Fiscal, which is aimed at tackling heroin-related offences and money laundering.

The raids were centred on properties in Burnley, Nelson and Brierfield and five men and three women were arrested. Police also seized drugs, around a dozen cars and took possession of houses. Police inquiries are continuing and said more arrests were expected. Post Office investigators are involved in the operation.

Superintendent Mike Griffin, head of the police Pennine Division, which covers Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, said the operation had been on-going for more than six months. Supt Griffin said the complex operation involved a great deal of financial investigation.

He said: "Most of the arrests have been in Burnley but most of the activity we are investigating has been in the Nelson and Brierfield areas.''

Referring to Operation Canberra earlier this year, which led to 63 arrests, Supt Griffin said: "At that time I warned that drug suppliers were not on our mailing list but were on our calling list.

"This operation, principally aimed at activities in Nelson and Brierfield, demonstrates our commitment to listen to the concerns of the public.

"The supply of drugs is a nasty and dirty trade. Unfortunately it is particularly lucrative.

"We are concentrating on the recovery of money and articles which we believe are the proceeds of drugs supply."

Police will today be handing out leaflets to residents in the areas involved in the raids explaining what has happened and apologising to anyone who was disturbed by the early morning arrests.

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