CANNABIS with a street value of up to £60,000 was seized after police searched a car on the motorway near Bolton.

Officers from the Greater Manchester Police motorway unit searched the Honda Prelude on the hard shoulder of the M62 and discovered the well-hidden consignment of drugs.

Two men from Bradford were arrested and detained at Bolton Police Station over the weekend. Drugs squad officers are describing the arrests as a significant breakthrough in the efforts to crackdown on the distribution of drugs in the North-west.

Earlier this year Greater Manchester Police launched Operation Jigsaw to combat the spiralling mis-use of drugs. An enforcement phase of the campaign will be launched in the next few weeks.

A police spokesman said: "Although the enforecement phase of Operation Jigsaw does not start until July 15, police officers have already stepped up their efforts to arrest drug traffickers.

"The arrest of these two men is a good indication that the police commitment in the run up has been highly successful."

Henry Philip, aged 38, and Colin Stoddart, aged 35, both of Bradford, were due to appear before Bolton magistrates later today charged with possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.