COKE NATION

Cops Bust 100 Dealers A Day As Drug Crime Hits New High ...
But Mr Bigs Escape The Net

DRUG crime hit an all-time high last year as cheap cocaine flooded
into Scotland.

Shock figures obtained by the Sunday Mail reveal police made more than
100 drugs busts a day last year and arrested more than 40,000 users
and dealers.

But senior officers privately admit they are still failing to shut
down the crime lords behind Scotland's multi-million-pound drugs trade.

That is despite 40,940 people being held for the dealing, possession,
manufacture and smuggling of drugs an 11 per cent rise on the previous
year.

The figures, provided by her Majesty's Chief Inspector of
Constabulary, show drug crime in Scotland has risen by more than 300
per cent in the last 10 years. In 1992, there were only 13,600
recorded drugs crimes.

In most areas of Scotland the price of cocaine has fallen by 25 per
cent in the last year.

One experienced drugs officer blamed the plunging price of cocaine and
the spreading use of crack a highly-addictive form of the drug for the
increase in arrests.

He said: "Cocaine used to be for the highrollers but the price means
everyone is into it now. And crack is becoming more common.

"In previous years we were told many times that Scotland was going to
get hit by crack but time passed and junkies seemed to stick with heroin.

"But the last 12 months has seen crack get a real grip and there is
more and more of it out there.

"There has been a determined effort by dealers to get users on to
crack simply because it is so addictive."

Seven out of eight forces in Scotland showed an increase in their
figures last year. The only exception was Northern
Constabulary.

However, the force's 1654 seizures still represented their
second-highest total.

The figures also show that arrests for possession of drugs last year
were the highest ever 30,150.

The biggest increase was in the smallest force area, Dumfries and
Galloway, where arrests rose by 32 per cent from 589 to 780.

Increases of 17 per cent and 13 per cent were recorded by Grampian and
Lothian and Borders. Both areas have been hit by explosions in the
availability of crack cocaine.

The two forces recorded their highest-ever figures for drugs
seizures.

Strathclyde Police recorded their highest figures with 22,285 seizures
more than half Scotland's total.

The figures in the HMIC's annual report cover March 2002 to March
2003.

Early indications are that the figures for next year will be even
higher.

The HMIC report revealed that the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency
also made record finds.

The SDEA, based near Glasgow Airport, seized drugs worth UKP55.8 million
five times more than the previous year arrested 226 suspects and broke
up 114 gangs.

The SDEA's biggest find was a 500 kg consignment of cocaine worth UKP25
million.

Many police forces are going back to targeting street dealers and
recreational drug users, leaving the bigger fish to the SDEA.

Falling prices, particularly of cocaine, are leading to more users and
more arrests.

In Dumfries and Galloway,a crackdown on small dealers last year led to
more than 70 arrests in the Stranraer area.

The Zero Tolerance campaign code named Operation Emperor was in
response to complaints from locals.

It is thought to be the first time a Scots police force has
"blitzed" every known dealer in a community.

Up to 100 officers 40 of them from neighbouring Strathclyde spent 18
months on the operation. Heroin, ecstasy, speed and cannabis worth
UKP300,000 were seized.

One dealer, Andrew McCredie, 38, was jailed for eight years for having
heroin worth UKP70,000.

Most complaints to the police about drug dealing are about small-time
pushers.

The increase in seizures is reflected in the rising number of drug
deaths in Scotland, which has reached 330 a year.

It is estimated Scotland has at least 58,000 heroin
addicts.

Latest figures show more drugs than ever are entering the country,
more people are dying from drugs and more people are becoming
addicted. The Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland say people
in possession of small amounts of drugs, particularly hard drugs, are
still arrested and brought to trial in Scotland, in contrast to what
is happening in most other countries.

A spokesman added: "The problem of drugs is not just a Scottish
problem but a worldwide one."

Despite the report's grim findings, Scotland Against Drugs say there
is still cause for optimism.

The group believes the figures are slowly beginning to bottom out as
fewer young people take drugs.

Director Alistair Ramsay said: "More agencies, such as the SDEA and
the security services, are involved in drug investigation, so the
figures are bound to rise.

"The positive impact on drug education in schools over the past few
years is now beginning to be felt as more and more young people reject
drugs.

"Many drug users now tend to be over the age of 30.