Millions of pounds worth of illegal drugs seized as serious organised crime disruption continues

Pro-active action by police officers saw millions of pounds worth of illegal drugs recovered, between April and June 2023 as Police Scotland’s efforts to disrupt serious organised crime continues.

The Quarter 1 2023-24 Performance Report, presented to the Scottish Police Authority on Tuesday, 12 September 2023, details seizures of cannabis, cocaine, heroin and street Valium tablets as well as a number of arrests being made.

Detective Chief Superintendent Vicky Watson said: “Police Scotland has a vital role in preventing illicit drugs reaching our streets and disrupting the nefarious activities of those engaged in serious organised criminality.

“We are all too aware of the terrible toll of drugs deaths in Scotland. The ongoing activity described in the performance report underlines our commitment to reducing the harm caused to individuals, families and communities.

“The encouraging figures underline that those working in partnership to deliver the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy continue to have a considerable impact on these illegal activities and are contributing to helping to keep our communities safe.

“These seizures will undoubtedly have a massive negative effect on the activities of those involved.”

Activity between April and June 2023 includes:

• Activity by Organised Crime and local officers, saw seven men and three woman arrested during an operation targeting the supply of drugs in the Scottish Borders which resulted in £670,000 worth of substances being recovered

• Officers in Ayrshire recovered a cannabis cultivation with an estimated street value of £2,000,000

• Officers executed a warrant at a property in High Street, Dumfries and recovered cannabis plants with an estimated street value of £261,000

• Cannabis plants worth £740,000 were seized following an operation in Kirkcaldy 

• Officers executed warrants at a number of addresses in Aberdeen and Liverpool as part of a County Lines investigation and recovered heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine with an estimated street value in excess of £115,000

• In Glenrothes, a 21-year-old man was arrested and charged after Class A drugs, with an estimated street value of £400,000 were recovered. 

In the reporting period hundreds of thousands of street Valium tablets, including Etizolam and Bromazolam were seized. At least 200,000 were recovered during operations in the Glasgow area, 160,000 in Lanarkshire, more than 30,000 in the Renfrewshire and Inverclyde area and almost 50,000 in the Lothians and Scottish Borders.