Illegal drugs

Drugs

Most of the calls we receive are in one way or another are related to the production, distribution, sale and supply of drugs.

Drug trafficking is a major source of revenue for organised crime groups, many of which are involved in other forms of serious crime. Activity which disrupts drug trafficking therefore has a much wider impact on organised criminal activity.

Do you want to speak up? If you have information about drug trafficking but want to remain anonymous, tell us what you know.

Call free on 0800 555 111, or fill in our quick and easy online form, here on our website:

Give information anonymously

Drug cultivation and manufacture

Criminals are resourceful. They are quick to set up factories in abandoned pubs, rented property and rural barns.

Whether growing cannabis, using dangerous techniques of cannabis extraction, or making lethal concoctions of cocaine, drug dealers never have your community's interests at heart.

If you suspect criminal activity, speak up. Your information really can make a difference:

Drugs production exposed at empty shop: we received reports that a large shop was being used as a front to produce drugs. Residents had noticed people visiting at odd hours of the day and night. Following up on our information, the police seized drugs worth over half a million pounds and found equipment such as high-powered grow lights, transformers and electric fans. Arrests were made at the scene.

Millions of pounds of drugs seized in one swoop: Crimestoppers received tip-offs from multiple sources about suspicious activity involving a large group of men who were coming and going at all hours. After we contacted police, a property was raided, millions of pounds worth of drugs seized, energy theft exposed, and potential immigration infringements discovered. The authorities acted quickly, leading to those legally here being jailed whilst others are awaiting deportation.

Learn more about the signs to spot:

Meter tampering often goes hand-in-hand with drug cultivation. Growing cannabis in the UK requires a lot of heat, and therefore a lot of electricity. Often gangs will bypass the meter, which endangers not only those in the building but the community around it.

Learn more about energy theft and the signs to spot.

The most common cannabis extraction process to produce butane honey oil (BHO) involves the use of solvents such as butane and propane gas, which are highly flammable. The process is extremely dangerous and can easily result in an explosion which could lead to serious or catastrophic injuries to those producing and those that are close by. Something as simple as flicking a light switch, having a heat source or turning a fridge on or off can cause an ignition.

Have you seen someone buy or be in possession of lots of butane or propane gas canisters, large or small?
Have you seen unusual stainless steel equipment that could be set up in a bedroom or any room in a house/flat?
Have you seen cannabis or BHO in a property?

Criminal gangs often ensnare victims of modern slavery to tend to their illegal crop.

Learn more about modern slavery and the signs to spot.

Drug possession

Users and those selling/supplying drugs can be charged with drugs possession. Whilst many drug dealers are clear-cut criminals, sometimes vulnerable people can get caught up, becoming unwitting enablers.

County Lines is a term used for organised illegal drug-dealing networks, usually controlled by a person using a single telephone number or ‘deal line’. Vulnerable children and adults are recruited as runners to transport drugs and cash all over the country, so that the criminals behind it can remain detached and less likely to be detected.

Learn more about County Lines and the signs to spot.

Cuckooing is when criminals running County Lines will set up a base in a rural area or small town for a short time, taking over the home of a vulnerable person, ‘cuckooing’ them (named after the cuckoo's practice of taking over other birds' nests for its young).

Learn more about cuckooing and the signs to spot .

Child neglect is a crime type which often goes hand in hand with drug offences. Child neglect can be linked with abuse from within families that have drug or alcohol addictions. County Lines gangs often exploit young people to cohesive them to carry drugs across the country.

Learn more about the signs to spot so if you do see something you are confident to speak up.

Prescription drugs

Prescription medicines should only be prescribed by doctors and other healthcare providers based on their clinical judgment and after consultation with the patient.

Self-diagnosing and purchasing drugs to self-medicate can be very dangerous. Criminals who sell prescription medicines illegally are exploiting vulnerable people and have no regard for their health or welfare. Obtaining these medicines illegally can be fatal as you don’t know what they contain.

If you have information on the illegal trade of prescription medicine, tell us what you know.

Drug prevention

Are you a professional working with young people? Visit our sister site Fearless.org for resources on County Lines and more information to help you talk about drugs in a community or class room setting.

For more advice on drugs, their effects and the law, talk to Frank.

28 January 2025