[size=+1]POLICE PLAN CRACKDOWN AFTER MEPHEDRONE BAN[/size]
Apr 6, 2010
POLICE in Teesdale say they are preparing to crack down on dealers of the killer drug mephedrone.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson last week promised to ban the drug within weeks. An order beginning the process was to be laid before Parliament yesterday (Tuesday). Mephedrone’s use has been so widespread in Teesdale that the area became a national hotspot. It led to Teesdale Police being at the forefront of a national campaign that called for the substance to be outlawed.
The drug, which is known as meow meow, has not been controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and could be bought legally on the internet as plant fertilizer. It has meant that police haven’t been able to arrest dealers.
Sgt Chris Knox said officers in Teesdale would act quickly to track down suspects when the drug is banned. The maximum sentence for possession of mephedrone, which will made a class B drug, will be five years in jail. Sgt Knox said: “The Government’s announcement this week is a good result. We’ll gather intelligence on people who have been dealing, and after the ban, we will be looking to execute warrants and bring them to court. The aim is to hit them hard.”
Sgt Knox added that police would also act if people were using mephedrone, but he said initially, the “main focus would be on dealers”. He warned that a ban could force up the price of mephedrone because of the increased chance of dealers being caught.
Mephedrone was still a problem in Teesdale, although the circumstances were changing quickly, he said. Sgt Knox explained: “When it gets banned, we may find those who have been dealing will no longer do so. But there’s often someone who will step into their shoes – it’s a never-ending battle.”
Mephedrone has effects similar to speed and ecstasy and has been linked to up to 25 deaths in the UK. Sgt Knox said: “All along, we’ve tried to make sure that there wasn’t a death in Teesdale and it’s fortunate that there hasn’t been.”
Barnard Castle Police have carried out a high-profile campaign in the area, frequently warning people about the dangers of mephedrone. The education programme seems to have brought the message home to those at the heart of the problem.
Sgt Knox said police were aware that a male who initially brought the drug into Cockfield had given up dealing because he was worried about mephedrone’s harmful effects. “He’s now trying his best not to use it himself,” Sgt Knox said.
http://www.teesdalemercury.co.uk/teesdale-news/story,2603.html
should those of us with a small amount in our drawers be worried about police getting a search warrant or will the police have their hands full enough with people who were mass buying online recently? I'm sure if they wanted to, the Police could get hold of full lists of everybody who has bought meph online and it would be just like the UK for them to come after the small timers rather than the big boys...
