Almost 200pc increase in drugs possession in Mullingar

The number of drugs possession incidents in the Mullingar region has increased by almost 200pc since this time last year, a meeting of Westmeath Joint Policing Committee (JPC) has heard.

Superintendent David Nolan explained that the number of Section 3 charges for possession of drugs for personal use has gone up from 107 cases in 2021 to a total of 319 this year.

“That’s an increase of 198pc. The reason for that is that we’ve been coming from a low base because of Covid,” Supt Nolan said.

“We had a couple of concerts – we had the Light Festival and Body and Soul in Belvedere and Delvin. We had a lot of Section 3 drugs seizures in particular and most of those individuals are currently before the courts for breaches of Section 3.”

There has, however, been a 47pc reduction in the number of Section 15 drugs charges, for possession of drugs for sale or supply.

Drugs figures in Athlone, meanwhile, have seen a significant decrease and the number of Section 3 possession charges dropped by 17pc on last year’s figures, and Section 15 charges by 45pc.