Decrease in the number of drug arrest and seizures by St Helens Police

In a Freedom of Information request from Merseyside Police, the Force revealed that 1142 cannabis plants were seized in St Helens borough, between April 2022 and March 2023.

However, this is a significant decrease from the 3544 cannabis plants seized across the borough in the 12 months previously.

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Drugs seized in St Helens during Operation Vermont (Image: Merseyside Police)

Across Merseyside, the latest Home Office figures show that 44,226 plants of cannabis, 29.8kg of cocaine, and 35.3kg of heroin were seized in the year to March 2022, which is the latest data available on the government's website.

The Home Office figures also show that 16.7kg of ketamine was seized by Merseyside Police in the year to March 2022 - a significantly higher figure of 4.3kg the year before.

In total, this amounts to 674 drug seizures across Merseyside in the year to March 2022, down from 906 seizures in 2021.

Bags of cannabis found at a property in Whiston last year (Image: Merseyside Police)

In relation to arrests in St Helens, the Freedom of Information request explains that 134 arrests were made in relation to suspected cocaine, cannabis, and ketamine possession in the borough, between April 2021 and March 2022.

This is broken down to 79 arrests in suspected possession of cocaine, 54 arrests for cannabis, and one arrest for ketamine.

In the same period 12 months later, the request states that officers carried out 129 arrests in relation to the suspected possession of the Class A and B drugs.

This can be viewed as 86 arrests for suspected possession of cocaine, 42 arrests for cannabis, and one arrest for ketamine.