Drug seizures soar fuelled by crack and methadone

POLICE are seizing more drugs in Greater Manchester – with the numbers fuelled by crack, methadone, and morphine in particular.

Police made 5,351 seizures of drugs in the region in 2018/19, new figures show.

That was a 16 per cent rise from 4,631 seizures in 2017/18.

The total number of seizures works out as a rate of 1,903 seizures per million people living in Greater Manchester – lower than the England and Wales rate of 2,432 seizures per million people.

The seizure rate for crack was up 35pc from 41 per million people in 2017/18 to 55 per million in 2018/19.

The rate at which police are seizing morphine has jumped 597pc across Greater Manchester, from 0.3 seizures per million people in 2017/18 to 2.5 per million people in 2018/19.

There was also a 149pc increase in the rate of methadone seizures, up to 3.6 per million people in 2018/19, while the rate of seizures of mephedrone has risen by 199pc in a year, up to 1.1 seizures per million people.

The 5,351 total seizures last year included 177 of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), down from 250 in 2017/18, when the figures were published for the first time.

This included 157 seizures of synthetic cannabinoids, such as Spice, and 20 seizures of nitrous oxide.

Across England and Wales, police and the Border Force made a total of 153,136 drug seizures in 2018/19

That was a 12pc increase compared with the previous year (136,439). It was also the first annual increase in seizures since 2011/12.

Cannabis was the most commonly seized drug, and was involved in 71pc of all drug seizures in England and Wales in 2018/19.

The second most commonly seized drug was cocaine, which was involved in 11pc of all seizures.

Seizures of cocaine increased by 12pc from 2017/18.

The quantity of cocaine seized also increased by 6,307 kg from 3,338 kg in 2017/18 to 9,645 kg in 2018/19. This is the largest quantity of cocaine seized since recording began in 1973.

Seizures of crack increased by 20pc, with the highest number of seizures since 2008/09.

The quantity of crack seized by police forces increased by 73pc, the highest amount seized since 2004.