OVER £20,000 worth of drugs has been seized and a woman who led police to find the haul has been arrested.

On Tuesday, March 21, officers stopped a car being driven by a woman in which they found a large holdall containing a significant amount of herbal cannabis and another drug, thought to be cocaine.

As a result of further enquiries, police visited three addresses in Hastings where searches yielded a substantial haul of illegal substances.

These included more than 20kg of cannabis, more than one kilogramme of suspected cocaine, two large bags of suspected MDMA, more than £5,000 in cash and other items suggestive of drug production and supply.

The value of the drugs that were seized is estimated to be at least £20,000.

The 44-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of possessing class A and B drugs with intent to supply, money-laundering and drug-driving.

She has been bailed until Wednesday, June 14 pending further enquiries.

Members of the East Sussex community investigations team are now making further efforts to identify others who may be linked to the criminal enterprise.

Hastings and Rother district police commander, chief inspector Steve Curry, said: "Our Neighbourhood Policing Team officers and the East Sussex Community Investigations Team are continuing to work together to target organised criminal groups involved in the supply of controlled drugs because of the significant detrimental impact it has on community safety.

"In the past three weeks officers have arrested 36 people on suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to supply and seized considerable quantities of drugs and cash, which we know is disrupting those groups.

"I expect those individuals, who will face the full force of the criminal justice system, to serve as a warning to those who may consider following in their footsteps."