Revealed: Drug raids rose across region as lockdowns kept criminals off streets
Drug seizures by police in Shropshire and Mid Wales increased significantly during the pandemic – because a fall in crime meant they had more time to carry out raids.
Lockdowns meant there were less general calls to deal with, allowing officers to be proactive in targeting dealers.
Police chiefs said Covid restrictions allowed them more capacity to crackdown on drug crimes, illicit dealing and county lines activity.
New figures today reveal that, in West Mercia, which includes Shropshire, there were 4,152 seizures throughout 2020/21 – a sharp rise of 18 per cent from the 3,508 the year before.
The rise is substantially higher than the UK averaged. There were 220,000 seizures nationally in that period, up around a fifth from 2019-20.
In Mid Wales there was also a rise with Dyfed-Powys Police carrying out 2,225 seizures in the year to March, up five per cent from 2,111 the year before.
Policing and Crime Minister Kit Malthouse said there were some "nasty villains" nursing huge losses, while Home Secretary Priti Patel praised the efforts of police and Border Force officials in their targeting of "the kingpins destroying communities".
New figures reveal that, in 2020-21, there were 2,739 drug crimes recorded across West Mercia, a 19 per cent rise from 2,295 in 2019-20. Dyfed Powys saw 2,184 over the same period, a nine per cent rise from 2,005 in 2019-20. The offences contributed to the 210,000 logged nationally last year – a record high.
Dr Laura Garius, Release's 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 West Mercia police 598 times during 2020-21, but cannabis was a factor in the largest proportion of all seizures – 64 per cent.
Variations of the class B substance were found in 2,667 seizures, with police confiscating 6,230 cannabis plants as a result.
Nationally, 71 per cent of all drugs seizures involved cannabis.
Dr Garius said it was the drug most responsible for bringing people into the justice system and called for its legislation, saying doing so would prevent the criminalisation of thousands.
However, Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin, drugs lead at the National Police Chiefs' Council, said the substance was potent, harmful and a "key driver in other serious criminality".
He added: “Policing takes drug crime, and the devastating impact they have for communities and individuals, incredibly seriously.
“We will continue to focus efforts on the criminals and organised gangs who are destroying lives and fuelling the violence we’re seeing on our streets."
Mr Malthouse said: "Drugs gangs ruin lives and dismantling their conspiracies for good means breaking their businesses and destroying their profits.
"Well done to the Border Force and police for tackling this head on."
