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Nineteen soldiers from one regiment test positive for cocaine and cannabis

Published 11:19 6 Sept 2021 BST

Updated 13:20 6 Sept 2021 BST

Steve Hopkins
Nineteen soldiers from one regiment test positive for cocaine and cannabis

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'Jaws were on the floor with shock' over army's 'biggest ever drugs bust'

Nineteen soldiers from one squadron have tested positive for cocaine and cannabis in the army's biggest-ever drugs bust, according to reports. The soldiers, from the 1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, had been taking the drugs at the barracks and at their home, sources revealed to The Sun. The majority were soldiers of Private rank but at least one was a Lance Corporal. "This is off the scale, it has sent shockwaves through the Army. Nineteen in one round of testing is a large number and raises very serious questions," the source told the tabloid. "Before lockdown, the regiment were being tested every few weeks but this latest round was the first for quite a long time.

"These are individual cases as well, it wasn't one wild night out. Jaws were on the floor with shock."

The army said in a statement: "A number of soldiers from 1 YORKS recently failed a compulsory drugs test.

"The Army does not tolerate drug abuse within its ranks as it is incompatible with military service and operational effectiveness.

"Army personnel caught taking drugs can expect to be discharged."

Drug use is rising in the Armed Forces, latest figures show, with 660 personnel dismissed in 2019 for failing a test.

The number was an increase from 580 two years previously.

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Nineteen soldiers from one regiment test positive for cocaine and cannabis