Seizures were up almost 50% over three years

Statistics for 2003 show a rise in seizures of 8% over 12 months, with almost four-fifths involving cannabis, then a Class B drug.

A total of 7,100 people were convicted in 2003, up 22% on the year before.

The Scottish Executive said the increase in seizures was encouraging while the Tories said there was still much to be done.

Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said: "The 46% increase in the number of drug seizures between 2000 and 2003 is evidence of the Scottish Police Service's commitment to combating the principal serious crime threat to Scottish communities.

Community approach

"The figures published today show the historic position in 2003 but we know the position is improving further.

"In the first six months of 2004-05, the Scottish Drugs Enforcement Agency seized more Class A drugs than in the whole of 2003-04.

"Over the 12 months from April 2004 to March 2005 they seized Class A drugs with a potential street value of over �22.3m."

The minister added that the recent Drug Dealers Don't Care campaign produced a four-fold increase in calls from the public.

"Hand-in-hand with treatment for addicts will be a stronger partnership between the criminal justice and health services to get a firm grip on drug-related offending and action to loosen the effect drugs have on our communities," he said.

The total number of drug seizures in Scotland was 22,400 in 2003, compared with the 2002 figure of 20,700.

Death concerns

The Home Office statistics for 2003 also show a 4% drop in seizures of Class A drugs and an increase of 12% in Class B seizures.

In January 2004, cannabis was downgraded from a Class B to a Class C drug.

Dealing was more likely to attract a custodial sentence than possession and the average sentence for dealing was just over two years.

Annabel Goldie, Scottish Conservative home affairs spokeswoman, welcomed progress in seizures but stressed a recent rise in drug-related deaths.

She said: "Last year there were 356 drug-related deaths in Scotland, a rate of almost one person per day.

"Eighty of these deaths involved methadone, a drug which the executive appears to advocate over abstinence."