DRUGS SEIZURES DOUBLE

ILLEGAL drugs with an estimated street value of more than UKP6m were seized
by the RUC last year - double the total for the previous year, it was
revealed today.

The RUC Drug Squad recovered UKP6,614,955 worth of drugs in 1997, compared
to UKP3,282,110 in 1996 - a rise of over UKP3m.

In comparison, statistics released in Scotland show UKP9m of drug seizures
last year in an area roughly three times the size of Northern Ireland.

The RUC warned that there are two reasons for the record seizures - police
inroads against dealers and a disturbing growth in a Northern Ireland's
drugs culture.

Figures show that arrests for drug offences in the province also rose in
the financial year 1997-98 from 909 to 1,017.

Drugs recovered included the province's first seizure of the deadly drug
'crack' cocaine in Ballymena in July.

More than UKP1m worth of Ecstasy was seized last year, compared to none in
1990.

LSD seizures increased a mammoth 220-fold in the same period. The finds in
one town - Newry - equalled all the seizures in Northern Ireland for the
previous 10 years.

And last year the quantity of cannabis seized was 12 times that of 1990.

Among the totals seized were 363.5 grams of cocaine, over 78,000 Ecstasy
tablets and 448 kilos of cannabis resin.

A large proportion of the increase in the monetary value of the drugs
seized last year can be attributed to Northern Ireland's biggest ever drugs
haul - UKP2m of cannabis recovered at Belfast docks in June 1997.

That smashed the previous record set in March of the same year when almost
UKP500,000 of cannabis was seized in Coleraine.

But the latest Chief Constable's report warns that Northern Ireland cannot
become complacent in the fight against drugs.

"The large seizures of controlled substances reflects not only positive
police action taken to reduce the supply of controlled substances but is
also, unfortunately indicative of the persistent development of a drugs
culture in Northern Ireland," the report said.

Drugs officers said there is also concern that heroin has gained a foothold
in Northern Ireland.

"Of great concern is the increasing popularity of an injecting culture
amongst heroin users," said police.

Drug workers say the quality of illegal drugs available in Northern Ireland
has also increased - raising concerns about the potential for overdoses.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski