The National Crime Agency (NCA) has issued a stark warning that drug use in the UK has never been more dangerous, with drug-related deaths now among the highest in Europe.

Over the past 30 years, drug misuse fatalities in the UK have more than tripled, a grim statistic that highlights the growing threat posed by the drug trade.

The NCA’s latest annual report, the National Strategic Assessment (NSA), outlines several alarming trends contributing to this crisis.

The production of cocaine has surged, synthetic drugs are more prevalent, and synthetic opioids like nitazenes are increasingly being used to strengthen drugs such as heroin.

Since June 2023, at least 284 deaths have been linked to high-strength nitazenes, with many users unaware of the dangerous substances they are consuming.

The rise in drug misuse is not just a public health issue but also a major driver of serious and organised crime.

Illegal drugs fuel violence on UK streets, with criminal gangs exploiting the vulnerable and spreading fear within communities, the NCA has stated.

Despite these challenges, the NCA has made significant strides in combating the drug trade.

Last year, the agency seized over 200 tonnes of Class A drugs worldwide, preventing billions of pounds worth of drugs from reaching the UK.

NCA Director General, Graeme Biggar said: “While overall crime figures have fallen over the last decade, the scale and harm of serious and organised crime has increased.

“As we outline in our latest assessment, it is clear that serious and organised crime still causes more harm, to more people, more often, than any other national security threat. No part of our society is immune to its effects.

“The National Strategic Assessment helps us to understand the threat that serious and organised crime poses to communities across the UK, to target our efforts and guide others across law enforcement to protect them.

“The NCA is focused on targeting the most harmful organised crime groups, working across the UK, overseas and online to protect the UK public. Last year, in which the Agency marked its milestone ten year anniversary, we arrested a record 1,000 suspected criminals.

“As we have seen criminals taking advantage of technology to commit crime at an ever increasing pace and scale, affecting people and businesses across the UK, we have turned the tables to target them using the technology they rely on.

“We significantly disrupted LockBit, the longest running ransomware-as-a-service group who were responsible for the largest proportion of ransomware attacks over recent years.

“And shut down Russian Coms, a platform used by criminals to defraud victims across the world.

“We work with social media companies to take down online adverts set up by people smugglers to entice people to make the hazardous journey across the channel, and we have jailed people who thought they could hide on the dark web to facilitate the sexual abuse of children.

“And we are more committed than ever to targeting the organised criminals and gangs responsible for putting people in small boats to cross the channel, having seized more than 400 boats and engines over the last year.

“But we cannot tackle the threats from serious and organised crime alone. It’s never been as important to work with our partners and use our networks to tackle the threats globally and locally, to ensure the public understand how serious and organised crime can affect their daily lives and how they can keep themselves safe.”