Database to help disrupt drugs trade

Hughes: drugs cause misery

The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) is trialling a database that will hold information on Class-A drug seizures and help track drug supply chains.

Chemical analysis from drug wrappings held by police forces and forensic science labs around the country will be fed into the Home Office-funded database to help map distribution routes.

Soca hopes the £400,000 system ­ the first of its kind in the UK ­ will help trace supply lines back to trafficking gangs.

“The misery caused to local communities by drugs is the end of a chain that usually begins abroad,” said Soca director Bill Hughes.

“Understanding how the global level links to the local level means Soca and its partners are better able to disrupt that chain.”

Local forces will feed information into the database, though only Soca will be able to access it. Where appropriate, the agency will push information back out to forces to help with investigations.

The database trial started earlier this month and will run for three months. Feedback from all parties involved will be evaluated before the Home Office decides whether to provide ongoing funding.

Home Office minister Alan Campbell said he hopes the database will help target those at the top of the drugs trade.

“I am committed to tackling all points in the drug supply chain to disrupt criminal gangs, stifle drug supply and reduce the harm caused to communities in the UK,” he said.

Chief constable Tim Hollis, who chairs the Association of Chief Police Officers’ drugs committee, said the trial will provide much interesting information.

“All forces will be taking part in this pilot to track down those involved in this form of organised crime. We await the outcomes with interest,” he said.

The US operates a similar system known as the Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information System. Drug information is held centrally and distributed to state police forces.