Cleveland Police battle heroin boom

New Home Office data shows Cleveland Police made 178 seizures of heroin in 2019-20.

At 313 seizures per million of the population, it was the highest rate for any police force in the country apart from in the City of London, where many people work but few people live.

In Cleveland, cannabis was the most commonly seized drug, which was involved in 50% of seizures where the drug type was known in 2019-20. This was followed by cocaine (15%) and unspecified class C drugs (9%).

Drugs could not be classified in 18% of seizures, according to the data.

Durham Constabulary made 1,704 drug seizures in 2019-20, up three per cent on the previous year’s 1,660.

That equated to a rate of 2,675 seizures per million population – below the national average.

Cannabis was the most commonly seized drug, which was involved in 55% of seizures, followed by cocaine (9%) and amphetamines (3%).

Drugs could not be classified in 32% of seizures.

Nationally, the number of drug seizures increased for the second consecutive year to 183,000 – a 20% rise compared to 2018-19.

Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for drugs, said: "These drugs feed a multi-million pound illicit market and are a key driver in other serious crimes.

"Working with other law enforcement agencies, we pursue organised criminals involved in the drugs trade who often commit other major crime including serious violence, human trafficking and modern slavery.”