Synthetic opioid linked to 1,000 deaths across the UK in just two-and-a-half years
Synthetic opioids represent the most significant threat in the ongoing war against illicit drugs; One particular species, nitazenes, has been linked to 1,000 deaths in the UK in just two and a half years. This stern warning comes from Graeme Biggar, Director General of the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Speaking at the launch of the NCA’s annual national strategic review, Mr Biggar described the death toll as “extraordinary”. He explained: “Synthetic opioids pose the greatest risk. Nitazenes have been linked to 1,000 deaths since they first became widely available in the UK in June 2023. This is an extraordinary figure.”
While the number of deaths is set to decline slightly in 2025, UK law enforcement remains vigilant and strives to prevent a crisis similar to the surge in deaths seen in North America.
Mr Biggar focused on drugs, organized immigration crime and online crime in his speech at the NCA’s new headquarters in Stratford, east London.
Half of murders, burglaries and robberies in Britain are drug-related, the NCA chief has said.
Mr Biggar added: “While we must respond to a range of new challenges, we cannot take our eyes off the drugs menace.
“It’s always caused a lot of damage, it’s evolving rapidly and we need to get on top of it.”
Researchers found that heroin was being cut with synthetic opioids, making it more dangerous, and also saw an increase in ketamine use.
The number of adults needing medical treatment after using the drug has increased 10-fold in 10 years, while the number of under-18s has tripled in three years.
Mr Biggar said the threat of organized crime had increased in the past year as technology allowed criminals to get “smarter, faster and more connected with each other and with victims” and that advances in technology were “reshaping crime itself”.
Recent cyber attacks on Transport for London, the Legal Aid Agency, Marks and Spencer, the Co-op, Kido Nurseries and Jaguar Land Rover have shown that it is not enough for businesses to secure their systems, they also need to address how staff can be manipulated, he told the audience.
The number of referrals from tech companies reporting child abuse has risen to 2,000 per week this year; In 2025, this number reached 92,000; this number has increased by almost a third in two years.
Addressing the issue of illegal immigration, Mr Biggar said the conflict in Iran was likely to increase the number of people trying to enter the UK.
By 2025, the Horn of Africa became the main source of immigrants, replacing Vietnam and Albania.
