The document published today highlights the year’s drug busts. Cannabis unsurprisingly tops the list
Here are some takeaways and the full document for you to peruse
This statistical release presents figures for drug seizures made in the year ending 31 March 2020 in England and Wales by the police (including the British Transport Police) and Border Force. The data relate to all drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA), which divides drugs into three categories – Classes A, B and C – according to the harmfulness they cause to the user or to society when they are misused. Class A drugs are considered to be the most harmful. This statistical release also presents figures relating to drugs known as new psychoactive substances (NPS).
-
Cannabis was the most commonly seized drug, which was involved in 71% of all drug seizures in England and Wales in the year ending March 2020
- In terms of quantity, Border Force seized 92% of heroin, 88% of cocaine, 81% of herbal cannabis, 79% of anabolic steroids, 77% of cannabis resin and 67% of ecstasy.
- Seizures of Class B drugs increased by 21% between the years ending March 2019 and 2020, from 115,047 to 138,791 seizures. Cannabis was the most commonly seized Class B drug, with 94% of all Class B seizures involving this substance in the year ending March 2020.
- Approximately 84% of cannabis seizures involved herbal cannabis. Between the years ending March 2019 and 2020, the number of seizures of herbal cannabis rose by 22%, from 95,549 to 116,575 seizures. Border Force had 5,019 seizures of herbal cannabis, the highest number since the year ending March 1996,5 when there were 6,661 seizures.
- The quantity of herbal cannabis seized increased by 68% compared with the previous year, from 16,692kg in the year ending March 2019 to 28,052kg in 2020.
- There was an 81% decrease in the quantity of cannabis resin seized (from 4,626kg to 871kg) between years ending March 2019 and 2020, while the number of cannabis plants seized increased by 24% (from 395,843 plants to 490,254 plants).
