Drug seizures in Nottinghamshire rose during pandemic

Police chiefs say a drop in calls from the public during parts of 2020-21 meant forces across England and Wales had more capacity to proactively police drugs crimes and disrupt illicit dealing and county lines activity.

Home Office data shows Nottinghamshire Police carried out 4,469 seizures in the year to March, up 9 per cent from 4,107 the year before.

There were 220,000 seizures nationally, up more than a fifth from 2019-20.

Kit Malthouse, policing and crime minister, said this meant some ‘nasty villains’ nursing huge losses.

However, Release, the national centre for drugs expertise, said seizures have little impact on the availability of drugs, claiming people had no difficulties finding a dealer in a ‘resilient and adaptable market’, even during the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2020-21, there were 4,380 drug crimes recorded across Nottinghamshire, a 9 per cent fall from 4,829 in 2019-20.

Consumption

Dr Laura Garius, Release policy lead, said the organisation's monitoring of UK drug purchasing during the pandemic found more people reported an increase in consumption.

She said: “Just as we see with recorded drug offences, drug seizures reflect policing activity and priorities, rather than accurately reflecting drug market activity.”

Class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine were seized by Nottinghamshire police 583 times during 2020-21, but cannabis was a factor in the largest proportion of all seizures – 76 per cent.

Variations of the class B substance were found in 3,378 seizures, with police confiscating 26,898 cannabis plants.

Dr Garius said it was the drug most responsible for bringing people into the justice system and called for its legislation, saying it would prevent the criminalisation of thousands.

However, Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin, National Police Chiefs' Council drugs lead, said the substance was potent, harmful and a ‘key driver in other criminality’.

He said: “Policing takes drug crime and the devastating impact it has incredibly seriously.

“We will continue to focus efforts on the criminals and organised gangs destroying lives and fuelling the violence on our streets."

Mr Malthouse said: “Drugs gangs ruin lives and dismantling their conspiracies means breaking their businesses and destroying their profits.”

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