Almost 7,000 troops have been booted out of the Armed Forces for taking drugs over the last eight years
ALMOST 7,000 troops have been booted out of the Armed Forces for taking drugs over the last eight years, figures show.
The Army alone is sacking about 500 soldiers — the size of a battalion — every year.
Advertisement
Infantry regiment The Rifles has one of the worst records, with at least 151 failing compulsory drugs tests between 2017 and 2025.
Ministry of Defence figures showed cocaine was by far the most popular drug used, followed by cannabis and ecstasy.
Former commander
"But there is no place for drug abuse in the Armed Forces.'
Advertisement
Read More on UK News
The MoD said tests ensured 'maximum deterrence.'
An MoD spokesperson: 'Substance abuse is unacceptable in the Armed Forces and we have run the Armed Forces Compulsory Drug Testing (AFCDT) Programme since January 1995.
'We robustly enforce a zero tolerance policy to drug use by all those who serve and provide an education programme to inform all personnel of the dangers and consequences of substance misuse.
'We maintain a comprehensive programme of compulsory random drug testing to ensure maximum deterrence.
Advertisement
Most read in The Sun
Exclusive
"Anyone found to have misused drugs faces severe consequences, including discharge from service.'
British soldier appears to snort suspicious white substance in video published to social media
1
Almost 7,000 troops have been booted out of the Armed Forces for taking drugs over the last eight years, figures show
Credit: Getty
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
British author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86
Frederick Forsyth, the author of The Day of The Jackal, has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness, his literary agents Curtis Brown said. The best-selling author was surrounded by his family as he died at home this morning, Curtis Brown added. The British novelist is best known for writing thrillers like The Dogs of War, The Fox, The Kill List and The Afghan among others. A former correspondent for Reuters and the BBC, and an informant for Britain's MI6 foreign spy agency, Mr Forsyth made his name by using his experiences as a reporter in Paris to pen the story of a failed assassination plot on Charles de Gaulle depicted in the 1971 novel The Day of The Jackal. His agent Jonathan Lloyd said "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers. "Only a few weeks ago I sat with him as we watched a new and moving documentary of his life - In My Own Words, to be released later this year on BBC One - and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived." Mr Lloyd said Mr Forsyth has served as "one of the youngest ever RAF pilots", adding that he then turned to journalism where he used "his gift for languages in German, French and Russian to become a foreign correspondent in Biafra". "Appalled at what he saw and using his experience during a stint as a secret service agent, he wrote his first and perhaps most famous novel, The Day of the Jackal (1972), and instantly became a global bestselling author," he said. Mr Lloyd said the late author wrote "more than 25 books, many of which were made into films, that have sold over 75 million copies". "He will be greatly missed by his family, his friends, all of us at Curtis Brown and of course his millions of fans around the world - though his books will of course live on forever," he added.
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Detective slams latest Madeleine McCann search as wild new theory emerges
A British investigator has criticised the latest search for Madeleine McCann in Portugal. Mark Williams-Thomas said the search this week was based on "very sketchy" information, and added it was "no surprise" it had "come to nothing". It comes after a bombshell new theory about Madeleine's disappearance emerged, suggesting a British man and his German wife hit the toddler in a drink driving incident. Follow our liveblog below... An ex-neighbour previously desribed convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner as an "angry young man." The neighbour, who lived in the same town where Madeleine vanished in 2007, recalled Brueckner had regular arguments with his then girlfriend. The neigbhour told The Independent: "If was riding past and he'd be standing outside, we'd say hello, you know how are you." She added: "Nothing more. Then we found out he was a really nasty piece of work." Irish woman Hazel Behan, 41, claimed police were dismissive of her account that she was raped at knifepoint by Christian Bruckner. Hazel said she reported the assault in Praia da Luz 21 years ago but that they were dismissive of her claim. She said they continued to follow her for the next few weeks to analyse her behaviour and believes they were checking to see if she was sexually promiscuous or not. A former homicide police chief has shared why this missing person case captured the public in particular. Simon Foy, who led Operation Grange to find Madeleine in 2011, explained that the case had captured the world because it was 'every parent's nightmare'. He told The Guardian: 'When I was working in homicide investigations in the Met, occasionally these cases would come along which for some reason just connected around the public consciousness. 'It's a whole load of things: it's a young blond girl, it's a middle-class family, it's a holiday, it's every parent's nightmare. All that sort of stuff very unpredictably would combine together and you would go from virtually minimal media interest and coverage to significant and substantial media coverage, and that was all before the days of social media.' True crime tourists have flocked to Praia da Luz in a bid to retrace the family's last steps. British friends Joanne Sheppard, 60, and Jane Thorp, 61, visited the Ocean Club complex last week. Joanne told The Guardian: "When we decided to go on holiday, I said I would like to see the place where [Madeleine] went missing and I'd like to sit and see the scope of the area so we could get a feel of various routes where maybe Gerry McCann and Kate walked." An Irish woman who was allegedly raped at knifepoint by Christian Brueckner fears he will "hunt her down" when he is released from prison. Brueckner, 48, who is the prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case is set to be freed from a prison in Germany in September. He was jailed for the rape of a 72-year-old US woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal in 2005. Now, Hazel Behan, 41, who bravely waived her right to anonymity, has opened up about her ordeal and said she is living in fear. She told The Sun: 'His sentence may be ending but mine never did. I have lived with fear every day for 21 years. Fear that I'll see him. Fear that he'll find out where I live and hunt me down. I also have fear that he'll do to someone else what he did to me. 'I've called him out in a public forum and I have genuine concern he could confront me. I wouldn't put anything past a person like him. If he is released, I will worry for every woman and child who, like me, believes the justice system is protecting them. A leopard doesn't change his spots.' The UK has spent several million pounds in its efforts to find out any information about Madeleine McCann. Funding given to Operation Grange has reached more than £13.2million since 2011. As of 2022, there were five Metropolitan police officers who were working on the case. The residents of Praia da Luz have said they hope the family of Madeleine McCann will "get closure." Long-term residents in the resort town said they hoped the search would bring the family much-needed closure. Speaking to the BBC, residents said: "We hope her family get closure." A rescue expert has spoken to Fox News about the Madeleine McCann case, saying it's "frustrating" because the "five W's" remain unanswered. Bryan Stern is the founder of Grey Bull Rescue, a charity that rescues Americans and its allies from combat zones. He told Fox Digital: 'The five W's are unanswered right now: Who did it? How did it happen? When did it happen? Where did it happen, you know?' 'That's why these situations are so frustrating … because there's way more questions than answers. The only thing that anybody knows for sure is that there's a little girl who used to be walking the streets; now she's not.' He believes that the renewed search clearly suggests that officials are still searching for answers in an unsolved case. He said it may have been sparked by a tip off from someone close to Christian Brueckner, or the paedophile himself as part of a deal with prosecutors. Investigators are looking into claims a British man and his German wife were somehow involved in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann after the sister of the Brit tipped off detectives. The woman claimed in 2018 that the couple had been drinking close to where Madeleine went missing. They reportedly had been in a car that hit Madeleine while under the influence of alcohol. A note written by Christian Brueckner asked six questions. According to a note translated by The Sun, Brueckner wrote: "It is the important questions, the decisive questions that can never be answered." These are the six questions he raised: Portuguese police reportedly did not know what intelligence German police were working with when they launched the latest search. German officials packed up a few soil samples from the site during the search, although they have not commented on the significance of anything that was found. German police had been searching for any links that tied Christian Brueckner to the location where he had been at the time of Madeleine's disappearance in 2007. Madeleine McCann vanished on May 3 while she was on holiday with her family at the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz. Her parents went out for dinner with some friends while she and her brother and sister stayed at the holiday flat about 100 yards away. The adults had a rota system and, when it was Kate McCann's turn to check on the children, she found Madeleine was missing. Police were then alerted and guests at the complex started to search for Madeleine. Investigators made limited findings as they searched for any clues related to Madeleine McCann in Praia da Luz. The probe unearthed limited findings including animal bones and small materials that have been hauled off for analysis. The area was investigated as lead suspect Christian Brueckner lived in a cottage in the area when Madeleine went missing in 2007. South African private detective Daniel Krugel said he believes the latest search happened in "the right area." He told The Olive Press: "I'm so excited the Germans are at the right spot. I'm very at ease that things will now go to an end. This is all I was waiting for. Justice for Madeleine. That's all I want." Danie Krugel, a South African private detective believes German police have uncovered "important key evidence". He told The Olive Press: "I'm so happy they've finally been searching in the right place and looking at their body language. I'm quite convinced they found something they were looking for. They only looked in three specific areas with 30 people brought in from Germany and it seemed they stopped suddenly early." He added: "They are in the right area. That's what I've said since the beginning, which was in 2007, that the signal was static, wherever she was, she was not moving. "I used that as a centre point and what I explained to the police is to use a centre point and then you make the 360 turn bigger and bigger. I'm so excited the Germans are at the right spot. I'm very at ease that things will now go to an end. This is all I was waiting for. Justice for Madeleine. That's all I want." While neither Portuguese nor German police have issued any statement, local media reported that they found clothing and animal bones. Former British Police detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who has worked on some of the world's most high profile missing persons cases, has given his take on the new searches for Madeleine McCann. He started the six-minute rant on X by saying: "So no surprise the search in Portugal has come to nothing." He went on to speak about the 'very sketchy' information the new search was based on and the huge amounts of money being ploughed into the case. Read the full story here. A former neighbour of prime suspect Christian Brueckner in Portugal described the convicted paedophile as an "angry young man". The neighbour, who lived in the same town where Madeleine disappeared back in 2007, recalled hearing Brueckner having frequent domestic arguments with his then girlfriend. At the time of Madeleine's disapperance, Brueckner - often described as a drifter character - was living in Praia da Luz. The neighbour told The Independent: 'If I was riding past and he'd be standing outside, we'd say hello, you know, how are you,' she said. 'Nothing more. Then we found out he was a really nasty piece of work.' A former flatmate of Madeleine McCann prime suspect Christian Brueckner has called on German police to carry out more searches. Thomas Hertel, who lived with the convicted paedophile in the same children's home, believes the fiend has buried crucial evidence yet to be found and wants the authorities to search all of his previous addresses. He spoke after German and Portuguese officers concluded their latest seemingly fruitless search near Praia da Luz, where she disappeared in May 2007. Thomas, 51, told the Sunday Mirror: 'I am sad. The parents deserve that Maddie is found. I didn't think they would find anything in Portugal, but I do think they might find something if they dig more in Germany. 'I would like to see them search everything in all the places where Christian lived. Brueckner doesn't say the truth, so it's really important that they find some proof so they know what really happened.' 'I lived with Maddie McCann prime suspect – I'm sure he left evidence somewhere' While Portuguese police had mostly been leading the charge into the investigation of little Madeleine's disappearance, a parallel taskforce has continued on British soil. The Metropolitan Police's investigation, dubbed Operation Grange, was dramatically downsized last year to just one detective chief inspector, two detective constables and a single member of police staff. At the time, the Met said the investigative team is under constant review, with resources being allocated in line with updated information about the case. DCI Mark Cranwell, who oversees the British investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann told The Mirror: 'We continue to support Madeleine's family to understand what happened on the evening of 3 May, 2007 in Praia da Luz. Our thoughts remain with the family. ' The Metropolitan Police confirmed British officers had not been present in the latest German and Portuguese searches. Investigators used chainsaws, diggers and shovels in a bid to find any clue tat could shed light on the fate of Madeleine. A devastating new theory into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann emerged as officers called off a new search in southern Portugal. Portuguese authorities demanded an investigation into a British man and his German wife who might have killed the toddler in a drink-drive accident. The claim emerged after his sister tipped off police in 2018, claiming he could be covering up a dark secret. German and Portuguese investigators, who led the latest search for Madeleine McCann have yet to comment on any potential discoveries that were made. Crews took few soil samples and some animal bones after three days of searches but found little other information that they have made public. Convicted rapist Christian Brueckner, 48, boasted German police would never pin the disappearance of Madeleine McCann on him. He taunted police, asking: "Is there a body? No, no, no." In a letter published by the Sun, he said: "Was I or my vehicle clearly seen near the crime scene on the night of the crime? "Is there DNA evidence of me at the crime scene? Are there DNA traces of the injured party in my vehicle? "Are there other traces/DNA carriers of the injured party in my possession? Photos? And, not to forget, is there a body/corpse? All no, no no." The UK has spent several million pounds in its efforts to find out any information about Madeleine McCann. Funding given to Operation Grange has reached more than £13.2million since 2011. As of 2022, there were five Metropolitan police officers who were working on the case. The residents of Praia da Luz have said they hope the family of Madeleine McCann will "get closure." Long-term residents in the resort town said they hoped the search would bring the family much-needed closure. Speaking to the BBC, residents said: "We hope her family get closure." Grey Bull Rescue founder Bryan Stern has weighed in on renewed search for Madeleine McCann. In a six-minute interview he told Fox News: "She will never come home, that would be a miracle that she's alive. Not even knowing that she's dead is painful. That by itself is very, very, very,very hard, it's the hardest part of my job by far." A vile letter from the prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has raised some questions over the case. While Christian Brueckner has gloated that police will never pin the case on him without a body his letter raises six major questions in the police investigation. Christian Brueckner, who is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, reportedly sent a letter to officers saying questions which would implicate him in the Madeleine McCann case cannot be answered More details on the note, seen and translated by The Sun newspaper, Brueckner reportedly wrote can be found in our full story here. A letter penned by Christian Brueckner from prison has been released. The convicted paedophile wrote that police wouldn't find any evidence linking him to the Madeleine McCann case, according to The Sun. Part of the chilling note said: "Is there a body? No, no no." He also claimed that accusations against him "will not hold up and that the investigation will be dropped".
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I'm the famous Peru Two drug mule – this is my warning to Brit tourists… and how gangs know EXACTLY who to target
PERU Two drug mule Michaella McCollum has warned Brit tourists about how trafficking gangs lure young girls into their criminal operations. The infamous drug trafficker 8 Peru Two drug mule Michaella McCollum has warned Brit tourists about how trafficking gangs lure young girls into their criminal operations Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 Brit Bella May Culley was arrested in Tbilisi airport, Georgia, with a suitcase packed with drugs Credit: Facebook 8 Charlotte May Lee, 21, former TUI flight attendant from Coulsdon, was allegedly recruited to smuggle drugs into Sri Lanka Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Since being freed from a hellhole jail in Lima, McCollum transformed her life and is now a mum and public speaker. Part of her work includes exposing how foreign drug operations try and recruit British mules. The 31-year-old appeared on Good Morning Britain this morning to speak on the increasing danger of Brits being preyed upon abroad. It comes after a spate of young women being arrested on trafficking charges including read more in Brit drug mules McCollum told Susanna Reid that people are often picked by drug chiefs specifically due to how vulnerable they appear. She explained: "That's what they do these organisations, they have people that are pickers and their job is to pick people to become mules. "They'll target vulnerabilities which might be age because at 19 or 20 you're incredibly naive, you're easy to manipulate. "Then women as well as obviously women tend to be groomed and coerced in situations a lot more. Most read in The Sun "Then whether you have a drug addiction as that could also be a vulnerability." McCollum was aged 19 at the time of her first being recruited with her Peru Two partner Reid being only 20. Charlotte May Lee fears being locked away for 20yrs over £1.2m Sri Lanka drugs bust – & is 'aware' of Bella Culley case She has also been open about her drug habits around the time of her arrest as she believes this contributed to her recruitment. Bella Culley - the teen arrested in Georgia last month - was Michaella also revealed that the drug kingpins ordering young women to become traffickers are masters at manipulation. She says that when she was first coerced into taking a suitcase of cocaine across the border her bosses convinced her that everything would be okay. Michaella was made to feel like a "little girl" when she questioned the dangers of smuggling, she said. Her concerns were always met with simple solutions, she added. She recalled once asking about how they would get the drugs through the airport before being told the airport staff is in cahoots with the operations being carried out and allow them. By the time she realised the answers were a lie, Michaelle said she was already in handcuffs. 8 Michaella McCollum entering the Sarita Colonia jail with a police escort in October, 2013 Credit: EPA 8 McCollum told Susanna Reid that people are often picked by drug chiefs specifically due to how vulnerable they appear Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 8 Michaella McCollum is now a mum-of-two and author Credit: Instagram/@Michaella_McCollum She continued: "You have to understand that the level of manipulation that goes on behind it as it's not just overnight, it can be weeks of manipulation. "They ended up making me believe that this was totally fine. I was being dramatic, I was being naive to question it. "So I was so scared to say no and men know they can manipulate women to do things and I was so scared to just say no." Both Peru Two mules became friends when holidaying in Ibiza in August 2013 and were soon coerced into cocaine trafficking. But in October, they were arrested as they stepped off a lane in Lima, Peru. McCollum and Reid were convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to six years and eight months in a dismal Ancon 2 prison. At the time, the pair's horror trip led them to becoming household names as they both admitted to being used by the gangs. In recent weeks, a string of British women have faced similar worrying experiences after being A couple claiming to be tourists from Thailand were busted with more than 33kg of cannabis in their suitcases at a Spanish airport in May. Why Brit backpackers are prime targets, Thai cop reveals By Patrick Harrington, Foreign News Reporter Police Lieutenant Colonel Arun Musikim, Deputy Inspector of the Surat Thani province police force, said: 'Cases involving British nationals smuggling cannabis have been around for a while. 'There is a lot of cannabis grown on Thailand's islands in the south because the climate is suitable and it is legal. A lot of gangs are attracted to this. 'There are now various smuggling methods that we have seen. Some carry it themselves, some hire backpackers, and some send it via mail. 'This year, there have been many cases we have intercepted. Most involve British and Malaysian nationals. 'It's easy for British citizens to travel as they can enter Thailand and return to the UK without needing a visa. 'Most of the smugglers are people hired to carry the cannabis, similar to how tourists might smuggle tax-free goods. 'They're usually unemployed individuals from the UK. The gangs offer them flights, pocket money and hotel stays, just to come and travel and take a bag back home with them. 'These people often have poor social standing at home and are looking for ways to earn quick money. They find them through friends or on social media. 'Many will go to festivals or parties while they are here, just like they are having a normal trip abroad. 'They are told that it is easy and they will not be caught. Then the amount the organisers can sell the cannabis for in the UK is much higher than it costs in Thailand. 'Police suspect that there are multiple employers and groups receiving the drugs on the other end. The cannabis then enters the UK market. 'We are being vigilant to ensure there are no routes out of the country.' A allegedly smuggling nearly £200,000 worth of Thai cannabis into Spain. But the two largest and most concerning cases covered Bella and Charlotte. Bella sparked a massive international search operation in early May after she was reported missing while holidaying in Thailand. However, it was later revealed that the teen, from Billingham, County Durham, had been She was allegedly carrying 30 pounds (14kg) of cannabis into the ex-Soviet nation. Around the same time, 21-year-old Charlotte Lee May, from Coulsdon, south London, was also The former flight attendant is now facing up to 25 years in prison if convicted. 8 Bella pictured in court in Tbilisi after she was detained at a Georgian airport Credit: East2West 8 Charlotte, a former TUI flight attendant from Coulsdon, seen after she appeared in court in Colombo, Sri Lanka Credit: Enterprise
