Home Office figures published on 12 February 2026 confirm a record year for drug enforcement in England and Wales. Police and Border Force made 269,321 drug seizures in the year to 31 March 2025, up 24% year on year, with Border Force confiscating almost 150 tonnes of illegal drugs. The department also highlighted Border Force’s ‘Seize and Return’ approach in the same update. (gov.uk)
Introduced in 2025 and now rolled out across England and Wales, Border Force’s ‘Seize and Return’ allows officers to return non‑UK nationals caught importing cannabis at airports to their country of origin, often within hours. To date, 165 removals linked to more than 4 tonnes of cannabis have been recorded, with an estimated £11.4 million saving to taxpayers through reduced court and prison demand, according to the Home Office. (gov.uk)
While Border Force conducted a quarter of all seizures by number, it accounted for the majority of volumes. In the year to March 2025, Border Force seized 148.19 tonnes of weighed drugs-the largest quantity since the series began-with activity concentrated at ports and airports. Across drug types, Border Force seized 93% of the total quantity of herbal cannabis and 86% of powder cocaine. (gov.uk)
Cannabis continues to drive the series. Border Force recorded over 62,000 cannabis import interceptions-the highest on record-and seized 126.98 tonnes of herbal cannabis, underpinning the overall increase. This concentration means trends in cannabis trafficking strongly shape the headline totals each year. (gov.uk)
Nitrous oxide seizures surged following its reclassification. Police and Border Force seized 4.19 million doses in the year to March 2025, a 2,185% annual rise. Possession for wrongful inhalation became illegal on 8 November 2023 when nitrous oxide was classified as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and placed in Schedule 5 to the 2001 Regulations. (gov.uk)
Ketamine trafficking also intensified. The quantity seized increased by 55% year‑on‑year to 1,329kg, with Border Force accounting for 1,092kg-around 82% of the total by weight. The number of ketamine seizures reached a record 3,382, though most involved small amounts. (gov.uk)
Cocaine remains a priority for enforcement. Police recorded 23,706 powder cocaine seizures-the highest on record-yet the combined quantity seized by police and Border Force fell 35% from the previous year to 18.46 tonnes, reflecting volatility driven by a small number of large consignments. (gov.uk)
Operationally, agencies report a renewed focus on maritime and containerised routes. Border Force’s National Deep Rummage team seized 1.5 tonnes of cocaine on a ship arriving at Dover in January 2025, while officers later found over a tonne concealed inside two industrial generators at London Gateway despite the risk of significant compensation claims if nothing was detected. (gov.uk)
The Home Office states the rapid‑return model is designed to relieve pressure on the courts and prison estate and to pre‑empt asylum claims from non‑UK national couriers stopped at the border. Reported savings of approximately £11.4 million accompany the national rollout across England and Wales. (gov.uk)
Interpreting the figures requires caution. The Home Office notes that seizure counts are shaped by enforcement and recording practices, with the Metropolitan Police Service’s new system from February 2024 likely contributing to reported increases, and that annual totals can be skewed by a small number of large seizures. These data are not a direct measure of prevalence or availability. (gov.uk)