Reducing supply
Middle market supply
Middle market dealers are defined as operating above the level of street dealers but below importation, although some operate at all three levels at different times.
These suppliers invariably deal in more than one type of drug and many are 'commodity' suppliers, prepared to provide any profitable illegal commodity, including:
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drugs
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imported tobacco
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human trafficking
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firearms etc
Government response
The government responded by supporting the police and their partners in setting up middle market drug units dedicated to tackling drug dealing at this level.
Two operational middle market units:
- Merseyside Middle Market Drugs Unit, covering the Merseyside Police area,
- 'Operation Tarian' Regional Task Force - a joint unit of the three police forces of Southern Wales (Dyfed-Powys, Gwent and South Wales).
An additional Middle Market Drugs Unit commenced in 2004. It operates in the London area and consist of officers from The Metropolitan Police and HM Revenue and Customs.
There is also a Regional Crime Unit covering 5 forces in the West Midlands Region that tackles Middle Market Drug Suppliers as part of their remit.
The Middle Market Suppliers that are being targeted by these units are predominantly suppliers of Class A drugs (e.g. heroin and cocaine). The assets of those suppliers will also be targeted to remove the 'profitability' from the Middle Markets.
Evaluation
A number of Middle Market drug units are being evaluated by the Home Office in order to understand their impact, identify their cost effectiveness, and to generate best practice process learning. The findings of these evaluations will be invaluable in informing the future development of enforcement activity in this area.
