Almost 200 suspected drug dealers and users were arrested today after a series of raids by North Yorkshire Police in the county's biggest crime-busting operation.

Officers arrested 198 people and seized drugs and stolen property worth tens of thousands of pounds.

Among the drugs uncovered were LSD tablets emblazoned with the image of Teletubby Tinky Winky - which police say is a sinister marketing ploy to sell the hallucinogenic drug to young people, and could pose a serious danger to children if taken by mistake.

The anti-drugs drive has been codenamed Operation Foolhardy, to tie in with today's April Fool's Day finale.

More than 100 suspected dealers have been targeted during the operation and police hope the information gathered during the past three weeks will lead to the arrest of more pushers.

Some of the information has already been shared with neighbouring forces - which could lead to the arrest of leading suppliers further up the drug-dealing chain.

In the Malton, Pickering and Whitby areas, police made 11 arrests - including three teenagers between 16-18.

Officers in Harrogate made 34 arrests, particularly focusing on picking up suspects in their cars as they moved about from deal to deal.Forty-three people were arrested in York, and drugs worth £12,600 were seized along with stolen property worth £30,000.

Chief Constable David Kenworthy today spoke of the operation's success. He said: "These preliminary results are excellent. The force has successfully undertaken its best ever crime operation and it has clearly sent a shock wave of fear and panic through the region's drug culture."

He added: "April the First is an appropriate day to launch this major operation, because by the end of it we will show what fools drug dealers are if they think they can ply their trade here."

While police stress the county does not have the problem of the violent, drug-dominated youth culture suffered by some parts of Britain today, they are worried that drug use in North Yorkshire is on the increase - with rises in the use of Class A drugs like heroin and ecstasy of particular concern.

Arrests in North Yorkshire involving ecstasy, amphetamines and heroin have gone up from 238 in 1994 to 487 last year. At the same time, arrests involving cannabis fell slightly from 1,200 to 1,000.

Officers are particularly alarmed by the increased use of the most lethal drugs - heroin arrests have increased fourfold over the past three years, from 45 to 160.

Educating youngsters in the anti-drugs message has been a major part of the operation too. Officers have given six talks to schools and community groups in the York area alone.

Mr Kenworthy said: "Hard-line enforcement is one weapon. Another is guiding young people away from drugs, through education and information, and helping existing drug-users free themselves from their habits and addictions."

Schemes include a high-profile drugs campaign in York nightclubs, an awareness programme with schools and youth groups in Selby and a joint mission involving officers in Catterick working with military police on enforcement and educational programmes.

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