A MAJOR new drive to rid Gwent streets of drug dealers was launched today.

The Rat on a Rat campaign will see neighbours shop people they suspect of pushing drugs in their communities.

And detectives will be using one of their greatest tools in crime fighting - Argus readers.

The Gwent Police project comes a fortnight after the Argus launched its Shop A Dealer campaign which has already seen dozens of names and addresses handed over to police.

Police say clamping down on drug dealers will reap huge benefits as around 70 per cent of the 25,000 people arrested in Gwent every year have drugs in their system.

Police head of community safety Brian Heal said: "The message to drug dealers is watch out, we are after you this month big time.

"It's a promise from police that we will pro-actively deal with all the information coming in."

Readers were invited to contact the Argus in confidence with information about drug dealers and drug dealing.

To date we have passed on the details of 32 addresses and 27 names to intelligence officers across the force.

Now police are joining forces with the Argus to encourage people to Rat on a Rat by telephoning Crimestoppers free and confidentially.

Our call to stamp out drug trafficking came in the wake of a drug operation that saw an 18-strong Yardie drugs gang taken off Newport's streets.

The heroin and crack cocaine dealing gang - run by Jamaican drug barons - was targeted in raids across Newport in Operation Corolla.

Crimestoppers can be contacted free and in confidence on 0800 555111. l How police aim to clear the streets of drug dealers - see tomorrow's Argus