Police in Glasgow detected almost 25% more drug supply cases between April and June this year after setting a target to find more people dealing in illegal drugs.
A quarterly report on the city by Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Andy Bates reveals that 263 drug supply cases were detected between April and June, up from 213 in the same period last year.
Two major raids in the city resulted in the seizure of over £5m worth of Class A substances, as well as a firearm and significant quantities of ammunition, STV News reported.
A total of 144 members or associates of serious and organised crime gangs were also arrested in the three-month period, the police report showed.
Commenting on the figures, Ch Supt Bates said: “This year, drug supply was highlighted as a key concern by members of the public in Glasgow and a target was set to increase the number of drug dealing detections.”
He explained that all officers in the Greater Glasgow division are engaged in tackling serious and organised crime, with the support of specialist resources.
Earlier this month the Evening Times reported that drugs are getting on to the streets of Glasgow through many different routes, leading to an increase in the variety being seized. The newspaper quoted Detective Sergeant Michael Miller, who said that there are hundreds of supply routes into Scotland.
“Any way that a person can walk into the UK is a way that drugs can get in. That’s the truth. No one can say definitively how the drugs get in. If we knew that we’d get them all,” he added.