Heroin traders to be banned from suburbs

National Nine News

Heroin addicts and dealers loitering in nine Melbourne suburbs will be forced to find a new home elsewhere under radical tactics to break down the drug trade's network, according to newspaper reports.

Those evicted will risk jail if they break court orders banning them from Footscray and surrounding drug-plagued suburbs, the Herald Sun reported.

Police are set to round up dealers and addicts who don't live in the area and request that magistrates stop them from returning to the 31 sq km area.

Project Reduction, which begins on Saturday, is aimed at protecting residents and businesses that have been putting up with heroin-related assaults and burglaries over the last 20 years.

Project Reduction covers Footscray, Braybrook, Yarraville, Maidstone, Tottenham, Seddon, Kingsville, West Footscray and Maribyrnong.

If the plan is successful, it may be adopted in other problem areas across Australia.