The Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands has called the availability of Class A drugs online ‘deeply worrying’.
In a statement to Birmingham Eastside, David Jamieson responded to the news that Class A drugs like cocaine and LSD were being openly sold on the Birmingham section of classified advertisements website Craigslist.
“The spread of dangerous drugs is deeply worrying. That is why I am hosting a wide-ranging summit later this year on how we can reduce the harm they cause. This is an issue I am acutely aware of and am working with the police to tackle.”
A search on the website has revealed illegal substances such as cocaine, LSD, and cannabis are being openly sold alongside highly addictive prescription pills like Xanax – a tranquilliser often used to treat panic disorders – and Oxycontin, a narcotic used as pain relief. There are also advertisements for tobacco and counterfeit notes.
This comes after an investigation by BBC news programme Inside Out found that an undercover reporter was able to buy cocaine from a drug dealer in Derby through the U.S based website, as well as stolen passports.
Craigslist’s terms and conditions explicitly prohibits the sale of prescription drugs, controlled substances and counterfeited items. However, there is currently no system in place to report sellers offering banned items. Attempts to contact the site for comment returned a generic automated reply stating that if trying to report a crime:
‘…please contact law enforcement, if appropriate’.
Inside Out West Midlands is available on BBC iPlayer now.