Chris Suitor (42), owner of Suitor Brothers clothing in the city centre, shared the video on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday morning claiming it was captured on Thursday afternoon in Belfast.
The video appears to show a man sitting on Donegall Place in the city, snorting what appears to be an illegal substance.
Later in the video, the footage appears to show a man laying on the ground next to another, with the pair appearing to consume a white substance from a small tray.
The PSNI have confirmed they are “aware of the concerns the video raised” and emphasised patrols around the area take place on a regular basis.
Mr Suitor has said the footage was captured at 6pm on Thursday, during the city’s late night shopping. The video also shows a police vehicle driving close to the incident in the background.
Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Suitor said when he was sent the footage, which was captured by a friend, his first response was “shock”.
“I work hard here in Belfast, and it’s not often I get about the city, but I do hear of these incidents happening on a regular basis.
“But this is the first time, where its been brought to my attention, I’ve seen it happen in the middle of Donegal Place,” he said.
“It’s in the middle of our main street. I understand these activities take place behind closed doors and up side streets… but seeing that in the middle of the city centre is shocking.
Drug usage in Belfast city centre streets captured on the video posted by Mr Suitor.
“There are families walking around, shoppers, and nothing is being done. It’s not even all the police’s fault either, it’s government and funding, the police don’t have the funding to make this place as safe as it should be.
“This is why I’ve brought it to my platform – because stuff like this is fixable. We need people to stand up to take ownership of this and admit it’s a huge issue that needs solved sooner rather than later.”
Mr Suitor said he has repeatedly raised issues about the city centre with elected officials, but claims while “they have all the right answers” there has yet to be action taken.
“They say to me they understand, but on the ground nothing is happening. Operationally nothing is happening for our city, so I will keep calling things like this out, because it will take public reaction and outcry for something to actually happen,” he added.
“I don’t want to be branded the devil of Belfast, because I point out this… but the problem is no one is taking charge of this. We just need to do something.
Chris Suitor of Suitor Bros Clothiers and Custom Tailors in Belfast (Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph)
“What about the cruise ships that come to Belfast? People touring this city coming off those ships to visit and seeing this? It’s shocking.”
Approached by the Belfast Telegraph the PSNI said they were aware of the concerns the video raised and reiterated officers regularly patrol the area.
South Belfast Policing Commander, Chief Inspector Mark Conway said: “I want to offer my reassurances that illegal drug use and supply is something that we take very seriously. We carry out regular patrols in the City Centre area and will continue to do so as part of our commitment to addressing this issue.
“Our officers engage with partner agencies and local representatives on an ongoing basis as we seek collaborative and proactive solutions to issues around the abuse of drugs.”
Chief Inspector Conway continued: “Anyone who is suspected of involvement in the use or supply of illegal drugs can expect to be arrested by police and presented before the courts.
“We all have a responsibility to help make our community safer for everyone. Reporting crimes or incidents that impact on your quality of life helps us take positive action.”
While four people were arrested and charged for being under the influence of drugs and or alcohol in the city centre around the same time as the video, none of those arrested were captured in the video.