THE purity of street-level heroin has plummeted to a record low in an apparent reflection of chronic drug shortages.
Police say the impact of massive recent seizures, a concerted blitz in Guangdong province on drug trafficking and the natural greed of street dealers have combined to affect the toxicity - leading to a significant rise in the number of quick-cash crimes.
There are also reportedly skirmishes on the Thailand-Burma border in the heartland of the Golden Triangle which is also influencing the drop in supply.
Force chiefs are collating figures from regions on the extent of the increase in petty theft, but it is already being linked to the heroin phenomenon.
In early 1994, the average purity in heroin was about 40 per cent - mirroring a glut of drugs.
However, last month, this had dropped to barely 19 per cent.
