Legal Highs Operation
Police in North Manchester have raided a network of shops selling 'legal highs' or New Psychoactive Substances.
It follows an investigation by Greater Manchester Police who previously seized a large amount of legal highs from a storage unit in the Strangeways area. These packets were forensically tested and a large proportion were found to contain illegal class B drugs such as Methylphenidate and Ethylphenidate.
Today, 20 May 2015, officers from Greater Manchester Police's North Manchester division have executed warrants at two shops in Manchester city centre as well as a shop in Strangeways and a private property in Sale.
As a result of today's raids, numerous packets of legal highs, non-descript bags of pills and a large amount of unknown powder have been seized from the shops and will now be subject to forensic analysis by experts to establish their true chemical composition.
Police Sergeant Adam Cronshaw said: "Today's warrants are GMPs response to safeguard vulnerable people from 'legal highs.' We are encountering increasing numbers of young people across Manchester under the influence of these drugs making them vulnerable to child sexual exploitation and addictive behaviour. We want to satisfy ourselves and the community that illegal products are not being sold.
A recent report revealed that since 2009, the number of deaths attributed to these 'legal highs' has increased by 800 percent, which shows the very real dangers anyone faces when taking these substances. Essentially, you are playing Russian Roulette with your own lives. Even though these shops will say that they only sell to over 18s it is clear that they are eventually ending up in the hands of children. They only cost £8 per packet and so are easily affordable. Some of these shops even sell their products over the internet.
Users may have no idea what substances may be contained within the packets as there are no legal quality controls and the packets are often marked with 'Not For Human Consumption' to absolve the sellers from any responsibilities should someone become ill from taking them.
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website.
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
Legal Highs Operation
Police in North Manchester have raided a network of shops selling 'legal highs' or New Psychoactive Substances.
It follows an investigation by Greater Manchester Police who previously seized a large amount of legal highs from a storage unit in the Strangeways area. These packets were forensically tested and a large proportion were found to contain illegal class B drugs such as Methylphenidate and Ethylphenidate.
Today, 20 May 2015, officers from Greater Manchester Police's North Manchester division have executed warrants at two shops in Manchester city centre as well as a shop in Strangeways and a private property in Sale.
As a result of today's raids, numerous packets of legal highs, non-descript bags of pills and a large amount of unknown powder have been seized from the shops and will now be subject to forensic analysis by experts to establish their true chemical composition.
Police Sergeant Adam Cronshaw said: "Today's warrants are GMPs response to safeguard vulnerable people from 'legal highs.' We are encountering increasing numbers of young people across Manchester under the influence of these drugs making them vulnerable to child sexual exploitation and addictive behaviour. We want to satisfy ourselves and the community that illegal products are not being sold.
A recent report revealed that since 2009, the number of deaths attributed to these 'legal highs' has increased by 800 percent, which shows the very real dangers anyone faces when taking these substances. Essentially, you are playing Russian Roulette with your own lives. Even though these shops will say that they only sell to over 18s it is clear that they are eventually ending up in the hands of children. They only cost £8 per packet and so are easily affordable. Some of these shops even sell their products over the internet.
Users may have no idea what substances may be contained within the packets as there are no legal quality controls and the packets are often marked with 'Not For Human Consumption' to absolve the sellers from any responsibilities should someone become ill from taking them.
To find out more about Greater Manchester Police please visit our website.
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.