Six retailers raided in ‘legal highs’ crackdown

Sachets containing ‘legal highs’ with a street value in excess of £2,500 were removed from one outle

Six businesses suspected of selling NPS (new psychoactive substances) have been raided as part of a crackdown on so-called ‘legal highs’.

Acting on intelligence received about NPS usage, council officers and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) raided six premises this month as part of ‘Operation Ramsay’.

Some 246 sachets containing ‘legal highs’ with a street value in excess of £2,500 were removed from one outlet.

The raids also revealed other issues - a large quantity of illicit tobacco was seized from one shop, with two people arrested for offences under Trade Marks legislation.

One person was arrested on immigration issues and four traders were advised on tobacco-related Trading Standards matters, including the need to ensure that tobacco was not on open display in shop premises.

Last month the council issued a warning about ’legal highs’ following increasing reports of them being used in the borough, traced to local shops selling them. In several cases individuals had been seriously affected as a result of taking the substances, including at least one hospital admission.

Andy Glover, Head of Public Protection at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The substance seized, which is known as Charlie Sheen, will be sent to a laboratory for tests to see whether it contains meth amphetamine. We expect to receive the results in around a week’s time and the next steps will very much depend on what these results tell us. Regardless of what the lab comes back with we would always advise people to avoid legal highs, as they can be very dangerous and consumers have no way of knowing what they contain.”

Rochdale Safer Communities Partnership is co-ordinating a boroughwide response to the problem, sharing intelligence about incidents of NPS usage. As well as enforcement action where retailers are selling the products in contravention of Trading Standards Legislation NPS training for frontline staff in the borough is underway and a communications drive is being developed to warn people about the risks of NPS and how to get help. Drug and alcohol treatment services in the borough are also available to offer support and advice to those that require specialist services.

For help or support about substance misuse visit www.rochdale.gov.uk/addiction or call in to the Renaissance Community Drug and Alcohol Outreach Team, 72 Drake St, Rochdale OL16 1PA. You can also phone them on 01706 924883.