SCOTS POLICE MAKE FIRST ARRESTS FOR MEPHEDRONE POSSESSION SINCE DRUG
BAN WAS INTRODUCED

THE first arrests in connection with possession of the newly-banned
drug mephedrone have been made in Scotland.

Two men were arrested three hours and 39 minutes after the
reclassification of the drug came into force on Friday morning,
Grampian Police said.

Lothian and Borders Police also said a 26-year-old man is due to
appear in court on suspicion of possession of the substance, which is
now a Class B drug.

He was arrested following a search of an address in Niddrie Mill
Crescent in Edinburgh on Friday.

Grampian Police said a 25-year-old man and a 23-year-old man, both
from Aberdeen, were arrested in Aberdeen city centre at 3.40am on
Friday.

The 25-year-old was charged in connection with possession of
mephedrone and possession with intent to supply.

He is expected to appear at Aberdeen Sheriff Court
tomorrow.

The 23-year-old was charged in connection with possession of the drug
and is expected to appear at court at a later date.

A 23-year-old man was also arrested by Lothian and Borders Police
after they found around 450 grams of heroin with an estimated value
of #45,000 during a search in Niddrie Marischal Crescent in Edinburgh
at around 9am on Friday.

The man is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court
tomorrow.

A spokesman for the force said: "Crime gangs should by now be getting
the message that we will not tolerate their illegal operations and
will shut them down at any opportunity.

"The wealth of intelligence we receive in relation to drug-related
criminal activity is indicative of the attitude of our communities,
who are tired of these individuals and the affect they have on local
area.

"As always, we are grateful to the public for their assistance and
would urge anyone with information relating to drugs in their area to
come forward.

"We would also like to remind people that mephedrone is now a banned
substance and if found in possession of it, you will be arrested and
charged with a drugs offence."

Those caught in possession of the party drug could face conviction
and a possible five years in prison. The maximum sentence for dealing
or trafficking the substance is 14 years.

The move to ban mephedrone came despite the resignation of two
government drugs advisers over the issue.

Earlier this month, Eric Carlin followed Dr Polly Taylor in stepping
down from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).

In a letter of resignation, Mr Carlin said the decision to ban the
drug was made despite there being "little or no discussion about how
our recommendation to classify this drug would be likely to impact on
young people's behaviour".

He added: "Our decision was unduly based on media and political
pressure."

Calls for mephedrone to be made illegal followed a series of reports
linking it to deaths across England and Scotland.