More legal highs seized in Newcastle
Northumbria Police have seized a number of legal highs which are suspected to contain controlled substances in the West End.
Officers from the new legal highs taskforce carried out two search warrents at addresses in the area last Thursday.
An investigation is now ongoing to establish if any criminal offences have been committed.
The special task force launched this week after officers attended more than 150 incidents related to the consumption of new psychoactive substances since the start of January.
These include reports of anti-social behaviour, disorder, criminal behaviour and a large number of incidents where lives have been put at risk when people have suffered serious side effects as a result of taking legal highs
Using intelligence, the team is investigating the incidents to identify those responsible for selling and distributing legal highs.
Just last week, Best One, another shop in the West End was closed for a maximum of three months after it was revealed they were supplying the substances.
A total ban won’t come in until later this year, but Newcastle Superintendent Richard Jackson says police must take action now. He said:
"This operation saw us seize a number of legal highs and they have been sent away to find out exactly what is in them. When we get the results back further enquiries will be carried out and appropriate action taken depending on what is found in them.”
“When we’ve analysed these substances in the past, around 20% of them actually contain controlled substances. So if you’re selling what are called legal highs then you have got to know that we’re out to deal with you. If we find that these substances have drugs in them, our approach is that you are a drugs dealer.”
“We’ll use whatever legislation we’ve got to our hands, including criminal legislation, anti-social behaviour** legislation as well as commercial legislation about the harm that you could be causing to individuals.”
“We’ll deal with you robustly and if that means closing your premises down and taking your livelihood away from you we’ll do that.”
To find out more about legal highs, visit the <a class="article-body-link" href="http://track.vuelio.uk.com/z.z?l=aHR0cDovL3d3dy50YWxrdG9mcmFuay5jb20vbGF0ZXN0&r=5794529054&d=1497857&p=1&t=h&h=2d48d45ecd57ce88432443a97557e659 "External website"">FRANK website or http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/legalhighs.aspx. Or www.hiwecanhelp.com
The government announced new legislation in May 2015 that will ban the new generation of psychoactive drugs. (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/psychoactive-substances-bill-2015 )