Criminal networks fuelling addiction and profiting from its
devastating impact across the United Kingdom (UK) will face
stronger barriers to concealing synthetic opioids.
The world's first detection dogs trained to identify the
synthetic opioids nitazenes and fentanyl are now operational at
key border crossings, marking a significant step forward for UK
border security.
The pioneering K9 Synthetic Opioid Detection Units are helping
frontline officers screen postal items, cargo, freight, and
courier deliveries for hidden synthetic opioids and other Class A
drugs.
Training will be continually refined to stay ahead of evolving
threats, matching the sophistication of criminal networks that
have previously avoided detection through new production methods
and changing scent profiles.
The minister responsible for policing, said:
Drugs kill, and we need to keep one step ahead of the criminals
who peddle in misery. By using these specially trained dogs to
sniff out synthetic opioids, we can stop the drug dealers in
their tracks.
By working closely with other countries, we're staying ahead of
what is now a fast-moving scene led by international organised
crime groups.
My message is clear: we are stepping up our fight to stop these
dangerous drugs from ever reaching our communities.
Synthetic opioids pose a growing public health challenge. Their
extreme potency increases the risk of accidental overdose, and
their ease of concealment makes detection difficult.
Nitazenes can be between 50 and 500 times more potent than
heroin, with more than 750 confirmed UK fatalities linked to
these substances between 1 June 2023 and 28 August 2025.
At the Five Country Ministerial last month, the Home Secretary
secured support from interior ministers from the United States,
Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – collectively known as the
Five Eyes – to enhance detection and testing capabilities for
synthetic opioids, including through the UK-designed Synthetic
Opioid Pills Catalogue.
Frontline officers will use this database to quickly identify
suspected illicit pills, which are often disguised as genuine
medication, by comparing them against a global catalogue of
seized synthetic opioid pills.
The Home Secretary also agreed with her Five Eyes counterparts to
strengthen cooperation when engaging with countries where
organised crime groups are producing and exporting illegal
synthetic opioids and their precursor chemicals, and to target
the sale of these drugs through online platforms.
These measures build on the government's ongoing efforts to
reduce the supply of synthetic opioids, including the recent ban
of 22 additional synthetic drugs, the introduction of a generic
definition of nitazenes to prevent gangs from evading UK drug
laws, and the expanded rollout of naloxone to police forces, with
32 now carrying it and further support underway.
