Drugs squad officers have raided a cafe in an inner city area of Bristol and arrested 23 people.

Police seized 13 bags containing wraps of suspected heroin and cocaine in the raid at the Black and White Cafe, in Grosvenor Road, St Paul's.

More than 50 officers from Operation Atrium, the campaign against drug dealers in the city, were involved in the raid at 2000 GMT on Tuesday.

The ages of the 23 arrested ranged from 15 to 48-years-old but most were in their 20s and 30s, police said.

Residents' support

They gave addresses in Eastville, Easton, Stapleton, St Paul's, Filton and Fishponds in Bristol and Blagdon in Somerset.

On Wednesday, 15 people remained in custody to be questioned about suspected drugs and immigration offences.

The others were either released without charge, cautioned or bailed.

A police spokesman said: "During the operation people living in the St Paul's area were voicing their support for what officers were doing.

"On Wednesday beat managers will be talking to people to keep them informed about what is happening."

Drug smugglers

The Avon and Somerset force recently called for Customs officials to take more action to tackle drug smugglers as they enter the UK before they are let loose on the streets.

Detective Inspector Bruce Ballagher said measures to crackdown on the 90 kilos of drugs imported into Britain each week - mainly from Jamaica - were not effective as smugglers could be stopped at airports.

He described the problem as a funnel, with dealers trickling through Customs at the narrow end but the consequences and crime levels ballooning out to the whole of society.

It has been suggested that there could be 15-25 drugs couriers on each flight from Jamaica to Heathrow and Gatwick, each carrying approximately half a kilogram of pure cocaine, usually swallowed inside condoms.

This would mean 90kg of drugs being brought into Britain each week.