Drugs
The scale of the drugs market in Northern Ireland does not reflect national levels in either the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, but there are indicators and emerging trends which suggest that this is changing. In April 2006, the Department of Health published a report finding that there are some 3,300 problem opiate and / or cocaine users in Northern Ireland. This represents a rate of just over three users per 1,000 head of population; comparable figures are 5.58 for the Republic of Ireland, 8.91 in England and 15.39 for Scotland. While direct comparisons with previous figures are not readily available, it is possible this may represent an increase in the number of problem drug users in Northern Ireland of as much as 68% since 2001.
There is clear evidence :
- Of increasing demand for and availability of cocaine and the number of multi-kilo seizures made by PSNI in the last three years reflects this (e.g. 9 kilos seized in West Belfast in May 2004, 6 kilos seized in Lisburn in July 2004, 6 kilos in Dungannon in July 2005, 4 kilos in Magherafelt in December 2005).
- That major traffickers are shifting their focus towards cocaine; this is largely market driven as demand is increasing and the profit margins involved in cocaine are higher than for cannabis or ecstasy. Relatively small quantities of high purity cocaine can be imported and processed locally. This is reflected in national trends in both the Republic of Ireland, where cocaine seizures have increased 16-fold in the last five years, and in the United Kingdom, where cocaine offences increased 16% in 2005. Cocaine seizures in Northern Ireland increased from 21 kilos to over 27 kilos in 2005/06 compared with 2004/05.
An emerging cocaine market is often closely associated with the presence of ‘crack’ cocaine. Although there are some indicators of low-level crack usage, it is not currently assessed that this problem is widespread in Northern Ireland.
The comparatively small size of heroin seizures in Northern Ireland indicate that the drug is more commonly brought into the country by users in small quantities for personal use. Heroin use in Northern Ireland has been associated with a small community in Ballymena for some time and this community is well known to the treatment services that are available.
Cannabis and ecstasy remain the most commonly abused drugs and account for the majority of seizures in Northern Ireland.
There is an established market for amphetamine in Northern Ireland. The largest ever seizure of amphetamine in Northern Ireland was made in December 2004 when 50 kilos were recovered in the Ballymena area.
The PSNI Drugs Squad has a strategic focus on Level 2 and 3 organised crime gangs, in particular those trafficking Class A drugs such as cocaine and heroin. By focusing resources proactively against the top level gangs involved in drug trafficking, the Drugs Squad has had some considerable successes and has disrupted some major importation routes and arrested some of the most significant drug traffickers. Intelligence from the PSNI Drugs Squad has also led to some significant arrests and seizures outside the jurisdiction.
Details of the drugs seized by the PSNI in 2005/06 can be found on the PSNI website .
