Record 269,321 drug seizures hit England and Wales as cannabis hauls surge 71%

Some 137 tonnes of herbal cannabis were seized by officials in England and Wales in 2024/25 – the largest annual quantity on record (Danny Lawson/PA) Danny Lawson

Police and Border Force officers in England and Wales made a record 269,321 drug seizures in 2024/25, marking the highest number since comparable data began in 1973. Class B drug seizures, particularly cannabis, primarily drove the 24% increase from the previous year.

Cannabis seizures reached 194,682, up 28% year on year from 149,459. Border Force officers seized 127 tonnes of herbal cannabis at borders in 65 operations involving hauls of 100 kilograms or more. Police forces across England and Wales seized an additional 10 tonnes, bringing the total to a record 137 tonnes. This marks a 71% increase from the previous 12 months.

Seizures of cannabis plants fell slightly, with 430,000 plants confiscated compared to 480,000 the previous year. Approximately 76% of plant seizures involved 10 plants or fewer, though the Home Office said this likely underestimates the true numbers due to cases where single plants were recorded by default when actual numbers were too high to count.

Other drugs see mixed trends

Ketamine seizures jumped 50% to 3,382, the highest since data was first recorded in 2006/07. Powder cocaine seizures rose 14% to 24,492, the highest level since 2008/09.

Heroin seizures dropped 10% to 5,496, the lowest since 1994, though the quantity seized increased 33% to 589 kilograms. Officers also seized 4.2 million doses of nitrous oxide.

Recording changes impact figures

The Home Office said the number of seizures can be «heavily affected by factors such as enforcement activity, changes in recording practices and the demand and supply of drugs».

The Metropolitan Police implemented a new recording system in February 2024 that captures «more types of seizures than the previous system, including stop and search seizures, drugs found in public places, and substances handed in by the public». This contributed to a 42% increase in reported seizures by the Met in 2024/25.

Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).