Seizures of Class A drugs rise by 10%

Class A drug seizures have reached an all-time high, thanks to the commitment of the police and customs to tackling smugglers and dealers, the Home Office has said today.

Statistics reveal that seizures of Class A drugs rose by 10% in 2001 to 38,000 incidences, and seizures involving cocaine rose by 16% to 6,984.

Nearly 56kg of crack was recovered – more than double the amount in 2000 – and just under four tonnes of heroin was seized, a 16% rise on 2000.

The number of pills of ecstasy-type drugs seized also rose by the same mark to 7.7 million tablets.

The amounts of herbal cannabis seized (nearly 27 tonnes) and cannabis resin (59 tonnes) were the highest since 1997 and 1998 respectively.

Home Office Minister Caroline Flint said: "Customs officers are targeting the class A drug smugglers, cross regional police 'hit squads' are breaking up the 'wholesaler' middle drugs market, and local police have increased their efforts to get rid of street dealers and shut down premises that are used for dealing.

"I am particularly pleased that the drugs which do most harm to society, such as crack and heroin are being stopped in greater quantities. By preventing these drugs reaching the streets our law enforcement agencies are making a difference to the communities, families and individuals whose lives are blighted by drugs.

"But we are not complacent. This is only one battle in the war against drugs and a lot more still needs to be done. We are investing record amounts in the drug strategy - £1.2 billion this year, rising to almost £1.5 billion in 2005 - showing that we really are committed to the fight against drugs."

As part of its strategy, the government is focusing on educating young people about the dangers of drugs, preventing drug misuse, combating the dealers and treating drug misusers. A main aim is to identify and treat the 250,000 problematic drug users who account for 99% of the costs of drug misuse and cause the most harm to society.

(GMcG)