Police made over 27,000 drug seizures in 2011

SCOTTISH police made 27,319 drug seizures last year, officials statistics have shown.

• Almost a quarter were class A drugs, mainly heroin and cocaine

• 10,046 seizures of cannabis resin and 6,777 seizures of herbal cannabis

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill said it showed Scotland’s most serious criminals are being identified and made to pay for the damage they are causing in communities .

He said: “Drug dealing is a serious and sophisticated criminal enterprise that damages our communities and hurts our country in terms of public safety, the economy, and jobs.”

“Combating serious organised crime – including disrupting the supply of drugs in Scotland – and tackling organised crime groups is a top priority for the Scottish Government, police and law enforcement organisations, as set out in our Serious Organised Crime Strategy.”

Deputy Chief Constable Gordon Meldrum, Director General of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) and ACPOS lead on drugs, said: “Taking dealers and the drugs off the street remain important elements of our overall approach to tackling organised crime and protecting vulnerable people in our society. Drugs continue to have a devastating impact on the communities of Scotland and Scottish policing remains relentless in its fight against the drug dealers and the harm that they cause.”

• See the drug seizure stats in full