We need to take on the ‘poison peddlers’

Police boss speaks out after drug-related deaths alert

Criminal families are “pedalling poison” on the back of people’s addiction, a police chief has warned.

Renfrewshire continues to see a trend in drug-related deaths, it was confirmed at Tuesday’s Police and Fire and Rescue Scrutiny SubCommittee.

A total of 23 drug-related deaths were recorded in Renfrewshire between April 1 and August 31, with four further suspected incidents awaiting toxicology results.

And Chief Superintendent Gordon Crossan said the area’s drug problem is down to “decades of criminal families” exploiting the market.

He said: “The people who cause misery stay in big houses with fancy cars and pedal poison on the back of others.”

Superintendent Simon Wright emphasised the need for officers to get to the bottom of why the deaths are happening.

He said: “We have to grasp an understanding of why we are seeing greater numbers of people dying.

“While drugs have been about for a while, we are starting to see the impact of drugs mixed with others.”

Councillor John Hood said it was scary how easily accessible drugs are becoming for young people in Renfrewshire.

The Johnstone South and Elderlie elected member told the board how his 16-year-old son had noticed young people were finding it “cheaper to buy drugs than drink”.

“That in itself is frightening,” he said.

Chief S u p t C ro s s a n commended national efforts to “reduce the amount of alcohol consumed by young people” but said police would monitor if it impacted drug use.

A total of 54 detections for drug supply, production and cultivation offences were recorded for the period, which is up from 33 for the corresponding period last year.

Cocaine, cannabis and heroin featured most predominantly in drug supply offences, having been involved in 46, 33 and 27 per cent of offences respectively.

In September, officers attended an industrial unit in Paisley’s Back Sneddon Street to execute a drugs warrant.

A large cannabis cultivation was found of around 500 plants with a potential value of £400 to £600 per plant - an overall value of between £200,000 and £300,000.

The equipment found was estimated to be worth tens of thousands of pounds.