NCJ Number
171411
Date Published
1996
Length
52 pages
Annotation
Statistics on drug seizures and drug offenders in the United Kingdom for 1995 showed drug seizures rose by 6 percent to 115,000 and drug offenders increased by 9 percent to 94,000.
Abstract
The number of seizures involving heroin rose by 44 percent and those involving cocaine by 22 percent. Seizures involving amphetamines were up 19 percent, while seizures of cannabis rose by only 3 percent. While the quantity of heroin seized rose by 87 percent, quantities of most other class A drugs fell. Seizures involving LSD decreased by 50 percent, but the number of doses seized rose by 79 percent. Conversely, the number of seizures involving MDMA (Ecstasy) increased by more than 50 percent, but the quantity seized fell by 65 percent. Of drug offenders, almost 90 percent involved possession cases, usually cannabis. The number of heroin offenders increased by 42 percent to 4,200. Just over half of drug offenders were cautioned, 22 percent were fined, and 8 percent were sentenced to immediate custody. The number of confiscation orders increased by 25 percent to 1,560, and the amount forfeited fell by 28 percent to 18.4 million pounds. 22 notes, 22 tables, 14 figures, and 4 maps