Record Drug Seizures Driven by Surge in Cannabis and Ketamine Hauls
Police and Border Force officers in England and Wales conducted more than a quarter of a million drug seizures during the 2024/25 financial year, marking the highest annual total since comparable records began in 1973. The dramatic rise, a 24% increase from the previous year, was primarily fueled by sharp jumps in confiscations of class B substances, including cannabis and ketamine.
Unprecedented Cannabis Seizures
A total of 269,321 drug seizures were carried out in the twelve months leading to March 2025, according to official figures released by the Home Office. This represents a significant surge from 217,633 seizures recorded in 2023/24. Cannabis accounted for the vast majority of these incidents, with 194,682 seizures—a 28% year-on-year increase from 149,459.
Herbal cannabis seizures alone reached 173,215, up 29% from 134,570, while cannabis resin seizures rose by 32% to 14,448. Additionally, seizures of cannabis plants increased by 10% to 10,689. Border Force officials made 65 seizures of herbal cannabis containing 100 kilograms or more, compared to 44 in the previous year.
Record Quantities and Ketamine Spike
The overall quantity of herbal cannabis secured by the Border Force soared to 127 tonnes, a 71% increase on the prior twelve months. Police forces in England and Wales seized a further 10 tonnes, bringing the combined total to a record-breaking 137 tonnes. Although cannabis plant seizures rose, the actual haul of plants fell slightly from 480,000 to 430,000.
Ketamine seizures experienced a remarkable 50% surge, climbing from 2,252 in 2023/24 to 3,382 in 2024/25—the highest number since data for this specific drug was first recorded in 2006/07.
Class A Drug Trends and Nitrous Oxide
Among class A drugs, powder cocaine seizures increased by 14% year-on-year to 24,492, the highest since 2008/09. In contrast, heroin seizures decreased by 10% to 5,496, continuing a long-term decline and reaching the lowest number since 1994. However, the quantity of heroin secured jumped by 33%, from 441 kilograms to 589 kilograms.
Officials also seized 4.2 million doses of nitrous oxide, the largest quantity since this drug was first recorded in 2017/18.
Factors Influencing Seizure Numbers
The Home Office cautioned that seizure figures can be heavily influenced by various factors, including enforcement activity, changes in recording practices, and fluctuations in drug demand and supply. A notable example is the Metropolitan Police, which implemented a new recording system in February 2024. This system captures more types of seizures, such as those from stop and search operations, drugs found in public places, and substances handed in by the public.
As a result, the Met reported a 42% increase in seizures during 2024/25. The Home Office also noted that around three-quarters of cannabis plant seizures involved ten plants or fewer, though this might be an underestimate due to instances where a single plant is recorded by default when quantities are too large to count accurately.
