illicit trade is controlled by rival British gangs from Manchester and Liverpool who send out armies of dealers to supply the Class A drugs to clubber

Anti-drugs police on Ibiza have said the illicit trade is controlled by rival British gangs from Manchester and Liverpool who send out armies of dealers to supply the Class A drugs to clubbers across the island, between June and September.
Despite a number of high profile recent crackdowns and warnings to clubs that they face closure if they do not control drug taking on their premises, the trade is booming.


Ecstasy pills can be bought for as little as €6 (£5), the effects of which last several hours. In contrast a small bottle of beer at one of the island’s many “superclubs” can cost twice as much at €12 (£10).
The island attracts around half a million British visitors each summer and according to a recent survey by the John Moore University in Liverpool with the European Institute of Studies on Drug Prevention almost half of young British tourists bought the drug while they were there.
The study found that 44 per cent of British holidaymakers aged between 16-35 took ecstasy in Ibiza, with 80 per cent of those admitting to have taken it more than once during a week-long vacation.
Last September, in an operation dubbed “Trafalgar”, police said they had dealt a decisive blow to a British gang that had overrun the resort of San Antonio on the west of the Balearic Island.
Police captured 24 members of the Liverpool based cartel including “the alleged ringleaders” seizing 23,000 ecstasy pills and €100,000 (£85,000) in cash.
But a member of Ibiza’s anti-drug squad has warned that they have fewer resources this year to tackle a growing number of drug traffickers.
“This summer looks bad, worse even than previous years,” a police source said. “It is proving very difficult to do an effective job. We have a team of only 15 drug enforcers across the whole island and only one vehicle.”
The Foreign Office on Friday published updated travel advice to Britons considering a holiday in Ibiza.
“Possession of even a small quantity of drugs can result in arrest,” the advice on the FCO website states. “In Ibiza there has been a crackdown on drug selling and the clubs are being closely monitored.”