Police find illegal drugs stash after drone squad tracks e-bike with young child on board

Police uncovered a large stash of heroin and crack cocaine after tracking a suspicious e-bike carrying a 10-year-old boy.

Officers in Harpurhey, a suburb of Manchester, saw the child at the front of the vehicle on Thursday night while it was being ridden around dangerously by a man in a balaclava.

Having witnessed the e-bike weaving in and out of traffic and mounting the pavement, a drone unit was deployed and tracked it to an address where 94 wraps of crack and heroin were found.

There was also a machete, multiple smart whip canisters, and a small amount of cannabis.

A 21-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody on suspicion of dangerous driving, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, and possession of Class B drugs.

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Inspector Dan Pickavance was left on a high, describing the operation as a “great result for the local neighbourhood team”, which was on patrol as part of a crackdown on e-bikes.

“We fully appreciate the issues that our communities have encountered with off-road bikes and similar vehicles – from their use in criminality to dangerous driving,” he said.

“We have subsequently launched proactive patrols to tackle them and provide reassurance to people who are fed up with how they are being used.”