The Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) was launched
on 1 June 2000 as a key component of the Scottish
Executive's comprehensive strategy to tackle drug misuse in
Scotland,
"Tackling Drugs in Scotland". The
four pillars of the strategy are:
- Young people- to help them resist drug
misuse in order to achieve their full potential;
- Communities- to protect communities
from drug-related anti-social and criminal
behaviour;
- Treatment- to enable people with drug
problems to overcome them and live healthy crime-free
lives;
- Availability- to stifle the
availability of illegal drugs on our streets.
The SDEA's creation, to support the fourth pillar, has
given Scotland for the first time, an enforcement agency
dedicated to the investigation of drug trafficking and
other serious and organised crime by:-
- Ensuring co-ordination and maintaining the
capability and expertise between all Scottish agencies
and Police Forces in the investigation of all forms of
serious and organised crime;
- Encouraging and promoting the sharing of
intelligence and best practice between the Police
Service and other law enforcement and intelligence
agencies;
- Co-operating with other UK and international
agencies in developing strategies and operational plans
to combat the manufacture, distribution, trafficking,
importation and distribution of drugs for illicit use
in Scotland; and
- Contributing towards the promotion of a
co-ordinated national drugs strategy in Scotland
through close links with other statutory and voluntary
organisations, Government Departments and educational
and health institutions.
More detailed background into the workings of the SDEA,
as well as details on their targets and objectives, can be
found in their Annual Reports for
2000/01, 2001/02 ,
2002/03 and
2003/04.
The SDEA launched an
official website on 30 March 2004. The
site contains general information on the SDEA, links to
drug information and current news.