What is the law on drug trafficking?
As you might expect, the laws on drug trafficking in the UK are very strict and carry heavy penalties for anyone who is convicted. The National Crime Agency (NCA) have previously reported that drug trafficking in the UK costs an estimated £10.7 billion per year, highlighting the problem.
Regional crime agencies have access to extensive surveillance tactics which they can use during lengthy operations to combat drug trafficking.
What are the sentencing guidelines for drug trafficking in the UK?
The exact sentence you could receive for a drug trafficking offence depends on a combination of factors. Such factors are likely to include:
- The combination of offences
- The extent of the role played in the offence
- The quantity of drugs
- The class of drugs
- The extent of the operation
- Whether additional offences have been committed
What is the minimum sentence for drug trafficking?
The minimum sentence you could receive for drug trafficking will typically involve offences related to Class C drugs. Therefore, the minimum sentence you could receive for drug trafficking would be a community order. This is where you played a minimum role in drug trafficking for Class C drugs.
What is the maximum sentence for drug trafficking?
The maximum sentence you can receive for drug trafficking is life imprisonment. This is where you have played a major role in the trafficking of Class A drugs.
Can drug trafficking charges be dropped?
Drug trafficking charges could be dropped so long as you receive robust drug trafficking legal advice and representation from experienced criminal solicitors. Defences against drug trafficking are likely to be used in relation to Section 28 of the Misuse of Drug Act 1971.
Depending on the circumstances, a defence could rely on demonstrating that you did not know you were in possession of a drug or you had no reason to believe a substance was a controlled drug.
Additional defences could concern the perceived role played, the presence (or absence) of incriminating evidence, or the presence of coercion.
What is ‘County Lines’?
‘County Lines’ is a term which is used to describe the exploitation of children and vulnerable people by drug dealers and criminal networks. These children and vulnerable people are used to traffic drugs between rural areas and cities.
Dedicated mobile phone lines are set up to import and export drugs across counties. In the UK, it is thought that there are at least 2,000 individual deal lines connected to 1,000 further branded networks.
For more information on County Lines are the defences that may be available for the offence, visit our page on the offence here.
Funding your defence against drug trafficking charges
Police representation
When you are arrested by police, customs, or the NCA, or you are voluntarily attending an interview under caution, you are entitled to receive free legal advice. This legal representation is not means tested and is available to everyone.
You will have the option of choosing to work with a duty solicitor, or a specialist drug trafficking lawyer of your choosing.
Duty solicitors may lack the specific expertise required to provide you with effective support and drug trafficking legal advice. As such, when you are facing serious charges related to drug trafficking, we strongly recommend speaking to our specialist drug solicitors as soon as possible to ensure that your case is handled in the best way for your overall defence from the outset.
Legal aid for court proceedings
Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to apply for legal aid in the form of a Representation Order from the Criminal Defence services when you are being prosecuted in the Magistrates’ Court or Crown Court.
When prosecuted in the Magistrates’ Court, you will need to pass a means test and a merit test. This will establish whether you are genuinely unable to fund your own defence and if funding your defence is ‘in the interests of justice’.
Alternatively, for Crown Court prosecutions, a means test needs to be used to work out how much of your defence costs you will need to pay yourself. Should you be found not guilty, any payments you have made to your defence costs will be refunded.
Why choose Conspiracy Solicitor for your drug trafficking case?
Conspiracy Solicitor is a trading style of Bird & Co Solicitors LLP, a leading East Midlands law firm that has been supporting clients all over England and Wales for over 30 years.
Our specialist criminal defence team is led by Senior Partner Christopher Milligan. We have over 200 years of combined experience as a team, having particular expertise in drug trafficking cases.
As a firm, we are accredited by the Law Society for Criminal Litigation. This demonstrates our expertise in handling all areas of criminal prosecutions, routinely achieving positive results for our clients.
Our drug trafficking solicitors understand that these types of charges can be extremely concerning, especially as the potential sentences can be so harsh. We take every step to keep proceedings as clear and straightforward as possible for you while also making sure that you always have access to the strongest possible defence.
When instructed, our team will explain the situation and your legal options to you in plain English, then make sure that you are kept updated at all times about the progress of your case so you can have complete confidence in your criminal defence team.
How to transfer your case to Conspiracy Solicitor
The serious and complex nature of drug trafficking charges means that the importance of experienced, specialist representation can make all the difference. Our knowledge of this area, as well as various other drug offences, combined with our high level of skills, means that we are often able to secure a better outcome than many less experienced, non-specialist criminal defence lawyers.
Even if you have already secured legal representation, you may benefit from transferring your case to our drug trafficking specialists. We are often contacted by clients who come to us as they are unable or unwilling to continue their case with their existing solicitor.
If you have not yet been granted legal aid (a Representation Order) to cover the cost of your legal defence, retaining our team to represent you will remain a relatively straightforward process which we can talk you through if required.
In the event that legal aid has already been granted, you may be able to transfer a case to us under the following circumstances:
- Your existing solicitor has had to withdraw from the case. This could be for professional reasons such as a conflict of interest or personal reasons such as illness.
- Your relationship with your current legal team has broken down. For example, this could include where your solicitor has given you the wrong advice that has harmed your interests.
- There is another ‘substantial compelling’ reason to change representation. What constitutes a compelling reason will be entirely in the hands of the judge presiding over a case.
Contact Conspiracy Solicitor now
Get in touch with our experienced drug trafficking solicitors now by using our simple contact form to request a call back or contacting us on one of the following numbers:
- Call 0333 009 5968 – for standard enquiries during office hours
- WhatsApp 07535 215140 – for 24/7 emergency support including police station representation
