More heroin, cocaine and cannabis seized by Northamptonshire Police as Covid-19 lockdowns kept people off streets

Police seized more drugs in Northamptonshire during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic as lockdowns kept people off the streets and freed up resources.

Chief Constables nationally confirmed a drop in calls from the public between April 2020 and March 2021 meant forces were more able proactively police drugs crimes, disrupt illicit dealing and county lines activity.

Home Office data published on Friday (February 4) revealed Northamptonshire Police carried out 2,155 seizures during the 12-month period – up five percent from 2,048 the year before.

There were 220,000 seizures nationally, up more than a fifth from 2019-20.

Police in Northamptonshire launched its 100 Days campaign in summer 2020, cracking down on crime gangs and by carrying out 145 raids and making 88 arrests including linchpins of organised crime gangs and dismantling a number of ‘county lines’ drugs networks.

Policing and Crime Minister Kit Malthouse said this meant 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.'

However, Release – the national centre for drugs expertise – said seizures have little impact on the availability of drugs and claimed people had no difficulties finding a dealer in a "resilient and adaptable market", even during the pandemic.

Strict Covid restrictions were in force between March and July 2020 and again between December to June 2021

In 2020-21, there were 1,868 drug crimes recorded across Northamptonshire, around the same as in 2019-20.

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 Northamptonshire Police 390 times during 2020-21 but cannabis was a factor in the largest proportion of all seizures, 75 percent.

Variations of the class B substance were found in 1,627 seizures, with police confiscating 11,242 cannabis plants as a result.

Nationally, 71 percent 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."