The "Drugs Squad" is indeed an organisation within the Metropolitan Police and all other forces in the UK. Usually, it's a specialised branch of the CID.

HM Customs and Excise are also heavily involved in anti-drug activities (because it's their job to stop the stuff entering the country), and the turf wars between police and Customs officers can become quite as vicious as any shoot-out between rival drug cartels.

Other groups within the police (specifically the Metropolitan Police, responsible for the Greater London area, and usually called "The Met") are:

The Flying Squad, usually referred to in rhyming slang as "The Sweeney", from Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Victorian stage. Originally equipped with fast cars, to get to the scenes of crimes quickly, it became an undercover branch tasked with infiltrating major crime gangs. ITV made a series called The Sweeney, starring John Thaw, later to be better known as Inspector Morse.



Special Branch, originally formed to counter Fenian (Irish Nationalist) acts in the 1880's. Subsequently became involved in all sorts of counter-subversive activities. They're probably reading this now ...

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The Serious Fraud Office. Question from Paul Merton: is there a Trifling Fraud Office ? It was proposed at one time that they should merge with the Agnostic Society, as neither had any convictions.




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I think I have mentioned in the past that this specialised Police argot is quite as confusing going the other way. I read "Rising Sun" by Michael Crichton (who also wrote Jurassic Park) and came across the line, "Black and White goes over, arrives at eight thirty-nine pm, finds it's a homicide". Why is a black and white minstrel involved in the investigation of a serious crime ?

Later in the same paragraph, "The blue suits stretch the tape and call the division". Hmm. Business-suited gentlemen (and perhaps ladies) are interfering with the contents of a cassette, and demanding a vote in the House of Commons.

"I go over with Merino, arriving at eight fifty-three. Crime Scene IU and SID show up about the same time for PE, prints and pics. Okay so far?" Sorry, Detective Graham. I read a paragraph or so earlier that Merino is another detective, not a sheep. But why does Sid need Physical Education ?