Thurrock: Half of UK’s Ecstasy pills seized in Essex

NEARLY half of all the Ecstasy pills seized by British police in a single year were found in Essex, new figures show.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show officers in the county seized 856,000 pills between 2006 and 2007, far more than any other police force in the country.

In comparison, the second-highest number of seizures were in London, where officers recovered 251,000 pills during the same period, less than a third of the Essex amount. For most forces, the figure was less than 20,000.

The news met with a mixed response from MPs, who praised the hard work and diligence of police, but were also alarmed about the high quantity.

Angela Smith, MP for Basildon and East Thurrock, also said it demonstrated the effectiveness of anti-drug policies.

She said: “We should be grateful to officers who have seized these drugs. They have made it a priority and it is obviously working.

“We know there are a lot of drugs brought into and kept in Essex in holding areas, which may explain the numbers involved.”

Although deaths from taking Ecstasy are rare in comparison to heroin and cocaine, the drug can cause dangerous levels of overheating and water retention.

Harry Shapiro, director of communications at drug awareness group DrugScope, said the recovery of Ecstasy pills in such high numbers was a cause for concern, but urged people not to read too much into the figures.

He said: “High drug seizure figures for one year can simply be the result of one or two large hauls and do not necessarily serve as a reliable indicator of drug use trends.

“At a national level, Ecstasy use has remained relatively stable over the past four years, despite seizures of the drug increasing by over a third in the same period.”

Donna Veasey, Essex Police spokeswoman, said: “The figures released demonstrate we continue to successfully target drug supply chains, disrupting criminal gangs, stifling drug supply and reducing harm caused in local communities.

“Essex Police has seen an increase in the amount of drugs seized in 2006/07 compared with 2005.

“These seizures demonstrate the outcomes of our engagement with partner organisations, such as HM Revenue and Customs and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency.”

She also said the use of new technology has helped increase drugs detection.