SIX men from East Lancashire who were arrested as part of a police swoop into the supply of drugs have been remanded in custody.

The men appeared before Blackburn magistrates today following a series of co-ordinated police raids earlier this week.

They were among 16 arrested on Tuesday as part of Operation Medlar, an investigation into the importation and supply of Class A drugs in Lancashire.

John Varey, 27, and Elias Smith, 28, both of Whinney Hill Caravan Park, Atham; Edward Smith, 21, of West Crescent, Accrington; Daniel Cregg, 29, of Catlow Hall Street, Oswaldtwistle; Andrew Dixon, 23 of Roe Greave Road, Oswaldtwistle; and Lee Finglas, 24, of Sharples Street, Accrington, have all been charged with conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine between August 2006 and February 2007.

The men will appear at Preston Crown Court on June 6.

The police operation spread across Lancashire, into Merseyside and over into Belgium.

Magistrates in Lancaster refused bail applications for James Craw, 43, of Hale Carr Lane, Morecambe, and Stephen Marshall, 32, of Edenvale Crescent, Lancaster.

There was no application on behalf of Majeed Shah, 31, of Seaview Drive, Hest Bank.

All three men, who face a charge of conspiring to supply heroin and cocaine, will appear at Liverpool Crown Court next Thursday.

A further two people in Liverpool face similar charges, which follow the armed raids.

A further man has been arrested in Belgium and is to be extradited back to the United Kingdom.