THE number of drug seizures recorded by police has fallen over the past year.

The total dropped by 3% to 28,968 in 2012-13, the Scottish Government revealed in official statistics.

Seizures and quantities of heroin, a class A drug, fell overall but the haul of cocaine almost trebled in size because of a single 190kg seizure. Cannabis accounted for almost all class B drugs recorded by police.

The number of seizures fell but the amount of cannabis resin increased by about 40% to 1707 kg.

Community safety minister Roseanna Cunningham said: "The Scottish Government is working hard with law enforcement agencies to disrupt the supply of illegal drugs, ensure that our young people are fully informed of the dangers of using drugs and get more people into recovery and off drugs as soon as possible. Today's statistics show a 3% decrease in the number of seizures but substantial increases in the quantities seized for some drugs like cocaine.

"I want to send a clear message to those involved in this illicit trade that they will be caught and when they are, they will be made to face the consequences, both in court and through confiscation of their ill-gotten gains under the Proceeds of Crime Act."

She said the new "crime campus" at Gartcosh, North Lanarkshire, meant the police were "better placed than ever".