Cocaine-linked crimes on the rise in Britain as consumption surges

• Police forces across Britain have recorded a 10% rise in crime rates associated with cocaine since 2019, a Guardian investigation has found, while Home Office estimates suggest usage at sites across England rose 26% since 2021. • Wastewater analysis indicates people in England consumed about 123,000kg of cocaine in 2024-25 - roughly 2.5 billion lines with a street value of almost £10bn. • Police recorded at least 29,922 crimes mentioning cocaine in 2025, 18% of them violent offences, and nearly six in 10 drug tests on domestic abuse suspects were positive for cocaine.