Crackdown on illegal ‘party drugs’ crossing the border
More 90 tonnes of illegal drugs have been seized by Border Force so far this year, a 92 per cent increase on the year before.
Between January and June 2024, Border Force made a total of 22,719 illegal drug seizures, a 19 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
This included significant quantities of so-called ‘party drugs’, cocaine and ketamine, the Home Office said.
So far this year, Border Force has also made more than 18,000 individual seizures of herbal cannabis, equalling 41 tonnes.
The Home Office says Border Force is using advanced technology and greater intelligence to make more, higher quantity seizures than in previous years, working in partnership with police forces, the National Crime Agency and international partners.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP, said: “We are determined to protect the public from illegal drugs, especially so-called party drugs like cocaine and ketamine, which pose a real threat to young people’s lives.
“Our dedicated Border Force officers work tirelessly to identify and seize these illegal substances, working in partnership with other law enforcement agencies to keep them off our streets.
“Today’s statistics send a clear message to criminal gangs – if you try to smuggle them into this country, you will be caught and you will face the full force of the law.”
In the first half of this year, more than 19 tonnes of cocaine and 412kg of ketamine has been confiscated.
Border Force officers use a range of methods to detect illegal drugs, including advanced technology and intelligence. They are highly trained in behavioural detection and are effective at spotting the signs of criminal activity.