Dangerous drug worth £1.5 million found abandoned in van

Police have seized millions of pounds worth of ‘monkey dust’ after raiding a van in Staffordshire.

The £1.5 million haul of the Class B drug was found in the vehicle in the Longton area of Stoke-on-Trent earlier this month, Staffordshire Police said on Tuesday.

Inside the car, which officers said is linked to the supply of monkey dust, 25kg of synthetic cathinone was found.

Synthetic cathinones, also known as MDPV, are classified as Class B drugs.

The drug can cause euphoria but can also lead to hallucinations and paranoia. Users might think they have superhuman strength but also feel impervious to pain, leading them to injure themselves.

Superintendent Phil Bryan, who leads on Staffordshire’s dedicated operation targeting monkey dust, Operation Rivent, said: ‘This continues to be a force priority for us.

‘We are determined to take robust action against anyone found to be involved in the supply of monkey dust in Staffordshire, while also helping the often vulnerable users of this substance to receive appropriate support from partners and the wider community.’

What is ‘monkey dust’?

‘Monkey dust’ is a powerful synthetic stimulant which gives users an urge to re-dose, and was previously widely sold as a legal high under names such as ‘Ivory Wave’.

It’s an off-white powder which can be sniffed, eaten or injected, and which (like mephedrone) gives users a smell of urine.

Small doses of the drug give users an Ecstasy-style high, but larger doses leave users hallucinating and paranoid.

It’s commonly made in Chinese laboratories, and is still sold online and via WhatsApp, including in the UK.

Police in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire have called it an ‘epidemic’ while others have said its use has seen them dealing with widespread violence.

Monkey dust can be picked up for as little as £2 per hit, which makes those with existing dependency issues particularly vulnerable, as it can act as a cheap alternative to other drugs.

In 2022, a knifeman injured six police officers while on a rampage in Staffordshire, committing a series of robberies and attempted car-jackings while high on monkey dust.

Also in 2022, a 34-year-old woman repeatedly stabbed a cancer patient in his own home while under the influence of a drug.

In 2019, a Merseyside man using monkey dust was jailed after stabbing a police dog in the head.

And again in 2019, a man high on monkey dust threatened to kill an Aldi worker in Stoke-on-Trent.

Class B drugs like monkey dust carry up to five years’ imprisonment for possession and up to 14 years for supply or production.

Class A drugs increase sentences to seven years or life in prison, respectively.

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