Mr. Ron Brown(Leith) asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the type and quantity of illegal drugs seized by customs and excise officers in the port of Leith during 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively; and how many prosecutions arose as a result of this activity.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneThe following table shows the number of seizures, type and quantities of controlled drugs seized by Customs and Excise officers in the port of Leith during 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively:
Year Number of seizures Type of drug Quantity (grams) 1979 None — Nil 1980 1 Herbal cannabis 50 1981 4 Herbal cannabis 37,503 1982 1 Herbal cannabis 14 Total 37,567 With the exception of one seizure of 3g of herbal cannabis in 1981, the importers of these drugs have not been identified and consequently no prosecutions have resulted. This is because the drugs have been found during rummage operations in parts of vessels where it has been impossible to identify the owners.