Recorded drug crime in Greater Manchester surged by nearly a third last year, according to the latest Home Office figures. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) recorded 19,345 drug-related offences in 2025, a 27% increase compared to the previous year. This rise contrasts sharply with overall reported crime in the region, which fell by 2% as part of Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson's 'back to basics' crime-fighting plan.
Proactive Policing Driving Up Detection
GMP attributes the increase in drug crime statistics to intensified efforts targeting criminal gangs. Detective Superintendent Joe Harrop of GMP's Serious Organised Crime Group stated: “Our proactive activity is leading to an increase in drug crime (being dealt with), we are carrying out more stop searches, executing more warrants, making more arrests and dismantling organised crime groups. Our intelligence-led approach is uncovering more drug crime in Greater Manchester.” Drug-related arrests have more than doubled since 2021/22, and stop searches have increased from around 9,600 to more than 70,000, with drugs now the primary focus in over 60% of searches.
Manchester City Sees 31% Rise
Nationally, drug crime is most prevalent in cities. The city of Manchester recorded a 31% increase in drug offences in 2025, with 6,631 incidents. Only Liverpool had a higher number of drug-related offences (7,770) in England and Wales. Manchester also had the third-highest rate of drug offences in the country, with 11 crimes per 1,000 residents, behind Liverpool (15) and Westminster (13), where a low resident population and high tourist numbers may skew figures.
Salford Records Fastest Increase
In Greater Manchester, Salford had the second-highest number of drug crimes (2,480) and the second-highest crime rate, with eight offences per 1,000 residents—the sixth-highest rate in England and Wales. Salford also saw the fastest rise in drug crime, with a 49% increase over the past year. Across Greater Manchester, only Wigan saw a decline, with a 3% fall in drug crime.
National Context and County Lines Crackdown
While most recorded crime types fell nationally, drug crime increased by 18% across England and Wales, with over 230,000 offences in 2025, including trafficking and supply linked to criminal gangs. GMP is one of only five police forces with a dedicated County Lines Task Force. Last year, the force proactively identified and shut down more than 250 county lines, generating around 500 offences and detections that would not have existed otherwise. In 2024, GMP launched the city-region’s first multi-agency drugs strategy, aiming to keep communities safer by disrupting supply chains, tackling gangs, and protecting vulnerable people.
Clear Hold Build Framework
The 'Clear Hold Build' framework, a multi-agency approach for tackling serious organised crime, was rolled out nationally in 2024. It connects specialist organised crime officers with neighbourhood teams to address escalating behaviours. Deputy Chief Constable Gunney, National Serious Organised Crime lead, said: “We know the symptoms of (serious organised crime) can manifest in a number of different ways from spikes in (antisocial behaviour) to rises in theft and reports of violence. Historically, these crimes have been seen in isolation and not as symptoms of wider organised criminality like drug trafficking and money laundering. What (Clear Hold Build) has done, is connect specialist SOC officers to neighbourhood teams so escalating behaviours and patterns can be viewed and investigated through a different lens.”
Reduction in Shootings
GMP reports that targeting drug gangs has led to a vast reduction in shootings, with a record low of 16 recorded last year. The force has closed down 248 county lines drug operations in the past year. The drugs figures include possession, supply, and production of drugs, often linked to organised criminal gangs. In an update last week, the National Police Chiefs Council announced that 1,254 people had been arrested, 331 charged, and offenders sentenced to a combined total of more than 438 years.
