222.The majority of cocaine available at street level contains one or more adulterants, some of the most common being benzocaine and phenacetin. In 2013, 63% of street level seizures of cocaine hydrochloride (powder cocaine) contained benzocaine, while 91% of street level base cocaine seizures (the majority of which is ‘crack cocaine’) contained phenacetin. Much of this adulteration occurs within the UK; in 2013, the quarterly average purity of cocaine hydrochloride at importation level ranged from 69-71%, while the average purity at user level ranged from 32-38%(20). Importing a kilogram of high-quality cocaine may cost around £45,000, while a kilogram of benzocaine can be bought for £300. It is common for cocaine to be mixed at an initial 1:1 ratio with benzocaine, allowing the resulting product potentially to be sold for £90,000. Cutting agents can therefore significantly increase the criminals’ profits from drug trafficking.
‘Average’ here refers to weighted mean purity. For further details see the NCA ENDORSE 2013 Annual Report
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