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Leaked Home Office report says cocaine has been ‘flooding’ into the UK leading to a crime epidemic (2 July 2018)

Date: 02/07/2018
Duncan Lewis, Crime Solicitors, Leaked Home Office report says cocaine has been ‘flooding’ into the UK leading to a crime epidemic

An epidemic of violent crimes across the UK was believed to have been caused by cocaine flooding into the county, a leaked Home Office document warned.

After a rise in crimes including murders, stabbings, robberies and attacks from moped gangs, an ‘excess supply’ of cocaine into the UK has been blamed as the cause of these violent acts.

The gangs of criminals have now began to form in more remote areas such as villages and seaside towns – away from city centres where their supply of illegal drugs and illegal activity are more likely to be discovered.

The leaked Home Office report stating these findings marked as ‘sensitive’ suggested other criminal activity was on the rise such as a supply of firearms. Additionally, the leaked document suggested that there has been almost double the amount of automatic weapons seized in the last two years.

The report suggested that there was a 42% hike in positive tests for cocaine as well as a rise of 28% of those who had been using crack cocaine.

The report concluded: “We are now certain that drugs are playing an important role in driving up homicide, and it is highly likely to be affecting other serious violence too.”

This comes after a rise of violent crime by 10% last year especially crime occurring whilst the perpetrator is riding a motorcycle or scooter. Scotland Yard has received up to 22,025 crime reports linked to mopeds in the previous year; a 50% rise from the last year.

In the previous month alone, a number of incidents had occurred, one notably including a woman in critical condition after she was punched by the pillion passenger of a moped as two men had approached her to steal her belongings.

Additionally, comedian Michael McIntyre was robbed by moped thieves armed with hammers, and began to smash his car until he handed over his watch.

The Home Office stated: “A major factor behind the increase in serious violence are changes in the drugs market...This includes an increased supply of cocaine from overseas, an increase in the use of crack cocaine, the spread of county lines drugs dealing, and use of social media.”

Louise Haigh, the shadow minister for crime has said: “A toxic cocktail of a more aggressive and profitable drug market in the context of eight years of austerity have created the conditions for violent crime to thrive...The Government must invest in the police immediately to begin to undo some of the damage that taking 21,000 officers off our streets has done.”

Director of Crime at Duncan Lewis, Hardeep Dhaliwal states, “From a defence perspective we seem to be dealing on a daily basis with more and more offences, both minor and major, which are drug fuelled”.

Hardeep Dhaliwal, Duncan Lewis Crime Director and solicitor is a Recommended Lawyer in the Legal 500, 2017 Edition, for fraud defence matters. He has extensive experience in low-level fraud cases up to serious fraud matters, including individual fraud, forgery, conspiracy to defraud and immigration fraud.

For expert advice on fraud offences, call criminal defence solicitor Hardeep Dhaliwal on 020 7275 2029 or email him on hardipd@duncanlewis.com.

Duncan Lewis Crime and Fraud Solicitors

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Contact Duncan Lewis Crime department on 0333 772 0409 for expert legal advice. For our 24 hour service call Duncan Lewis’ emergency assistance on 0333 772 0607.


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