Drug Trafficking Defence Lawyers

Drug trafficking is a serious offence which carries significant penalties for anyone who is found guilty. Seeking urgent legal advice when accused of such an offence is critical.

If you find yourself under criminal investigation, or are being charged with an offence, our expert drug trafficking lawyers can provide clear advice, robust defence, and expert legal representation.

Given the serious nature of drug trafficking allegations, accessing the right legal support at an early stage could make all the difference, significantly increasing your chances of being found not guilty if you are prosecuted, or minimising penalties where conviction is unavoidable.

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Why choose JD Spicer Zeb?

1000s Cases Dropped
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How quickly do you respond?

We respond quickly even during out of hours. We do not get our work by paying for online adverts but based on the fact that few criminal law firms can match our 45 years of experience. Most of our cases are still from word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied clients. We are called daily by dissatisfied clients from firms with less experience than us. We respond very quickly to new enquiries. We know what clients seek and so we update clients rapidly.

Can you get cases dropped?

Yes, read about the recent cases we've helped our clients with here.

We always keep you updated and give straightforward advice. We will get cases dropped early where the case is weak or should not be prosecuted. We will be upfront with you about where you can benefit from a good result with an early guilty plea, such as a discount on your sentence. As we work on cases across all levels with clients from all walks of life, we are excellent at giving clear, spot-on advice. As an established firm, we can allocate a whole team to your case often at short notice to secure evidence to minimise the damage to you.

Have you won any awards?

OUR PROFESSIONAL BODY THE LAW SOCIETY AWARDED US IN OCTOBER 2020 WITH THE EXCELLENCE IN CLIENT SERVICE AWARD AND STATED -

"JD Spicer Zeb demonstrated a clear commitment to client service through their work with vulnerable and diverse individuals in what can be severely traumatic circumstances".

Do you offer free consultations?

Where it is possible, we aim to provide an initial consultation to you. If we can speak to you, we can if required inform you about –

Whether we can take the case on and our relevant experience.
Public and private funding benefits.
Assistance in applying for legal aid where we are likely to accept instructions.
An outline of options in police interview only. We will not advise you on which option to adopt.
Providing our free written guide explaining the police station process.
The gravity of routine and day-to-day offences you face.
Consequences of not attending the court or police station.
Consequences of interfering with any witnesses.
Retaining any evidence in support of your case.
If possible an outline of the elements of the offence that the police or CPS must prove.
This consultation will normally be by telephone or email and will only be for as long as we deem necessary to establish if we can act for you. If we cannot usefully give you any advice in this manner then we will not continue with the consultation. We will not discuss the case in depth for you to be able to decide on your plea or any significant aspect of the case, as this cannot be undertaken informally.
Referring you, if possible, to other firms for matters out of our specialism or if we cannot help.

Consultations do not apply to the following cases –

If we do not intend to take the case on.
Road Traffic cases, drink driving, drug driving, driving bans, speeding, no insurance, mobile phone use, points etc.
In all cases where we do not have the capacity to take your case or the availability of suitably qualified staff to provide an initial free consultation. This is applicable in all cases but especially where a more senior lawyer is required because of your personal needs or the complexity of the case.
Harassment/stalking/ coercive behaviour/malicious communications or road traffic cases and most sensitive cases. These cases are often too complicated to assess in short consultations.
The locations concerned may be too distant to represent you adequately or it may not be cost-effective for you or us.
The case is too complicated to assess or raises various charges or facts, complexity, or history to be considered informally or in a short consultation.
In most Legal aid transfers where legal aid is granted to another firm except in very grave cases, we may assess the case and merits for a transfer.
If your relationship has broken down with your existing solicitor or several solicitors.
If you have been released under investigation and have already had a police station attendance.
If you hold legal aid with another firm and seek a second opinion.
If you are calling on behalf of the client as a friend or family member unless you have full authority and full facts.
To businesses.
Advising whether you were given good advice by your other solicitor.
Whether to decide to plead guilty or not guilty.
Whether you have an arguable defence in law or factually complicated defences.
Any advice you have had after your first court appearance.
Any advice on appeal on conviction or sentence.
If we feel we are unable to communicate with you.
If we are likely to be conflicted or breach our professional rules.

Contact our drug trafficking lawyers today

If you have been arrested for, or charged with a drug trafficking offence, you can contact us 24 hours a day, seven days a week for an immediate free initial consultation, expert legal advice and representation.

Our highly experienced criminal defence solicitors offer:

24/7 legal support in person and over the phone, 365 days a year
Representation anywhere in England or Wales
Accredited Police Station Representatives to support you during a police interview
Clear, effective legal advice in any language (see our languages spoken)
Local offices in London, Birmingham or Manchester

If you have been arrested for drug trafficking, you can use the emergency numbers below to secure representation by one of our accredited Police Station Representatives now.

Our emergency contact numbers:

Birmingham – 07891 777090
Brent & Camden London – 07836 577556
Manchester – 07798 701339

Why choose JD Spicer Zeb’s drug trafficking solicitors?

Drug trafficking is an extremely serious offence, with a conviction resulting in substantial penalties, including lengthy prison sentences. This is why it is important to have the support of committed and experienced drug offence solicitors on your side to advise and represent you at the earliest opportunity.

Whether you are at the police station or are in court, you will be entitled to free legal representation. While you can choose a duty solicitor to represent you, they may lack the specialist expertise to support you with a drug trafficking offence.

Instead, you can choose your own legal representative in the form of one of our expert criminal defence solicitors. With the support of our team, you will stand the best possible chance of securing a positive outcome for your case.

Our dedicated drug trafficking lawyers are ready to act on your behalf if you are accused of a drug trafficking offence, providing support around the clock. This includes on weekends and bank holidays.

We have extensive experience representing clients in both Magistrates’ Court and Crown Court, so can effectively support you at all levels of court proceedings. Our team includes a number of accredited police station representatives, allowing us to provide 24-hour police station representation.

Our team works with the most experienced barristers in the country and have access to a range of national recognised experts who can assist with drug valuation, purity, forensics, mobile and cell site evidence to support your case.

Our skills and expertise have also been recognised by the Law Society, with the Criminal Litigation accreditation.

For more information about our team, please get in touch with our drug trafficking lawyers at JD Spicer Zeb.

Funding your legal defence for drug trafficking

Funding police station representation

When arrested or interviewed under caution at the police station, you are entitled to receive free legal representation. This can be from a duty solicitor, or one of your choosing, such as our expert drug trafficking solicitors.

Funding your legal defence if you are prosecuted

If you are charged with a drug trafficking offence, it may be possible for you to have some or all of your defence costs covered by a Representation Order, otherwise known as ‘legal aid’. Where the prosecution takes place will usually determine how much you will be able to claim for.

Magistrates’ Court prosecutions

To qualify for legal aid for a Magistrates’ court prosecution, you will need to pass two tests:

A means test – To show that you need help with funding your defence.
A merit test – To show that it is in the interests of justice for you to have legal representation.

Crown Court prosecutions

To qualify for legal aid for a Crown court prosecution, you will only need to pass a means test because having legal representation for your defence will automatically be considered to be in the interests of justice.

Most offences related to drug trafficking are tried in the Crown Court as they are typically too serious to be deal with at the Magistrates’ Court.

Private fees

If you need to self-fund some or all of the costs of your criminal defence, our solicitors will explain the costs of private legal representation and our fee structures.

Common questions about drug trafficking offences

What is drug trafficking?

Drug trafficking encompasses a variety of drug offences and is generally recognised as being a multi-jurisdiction matter. It typically involves actions such as the cultivation, manufacturing, distribution, supply and sale of substances that are subject to strict drug prohibition laws.

Drug trafficking is also seen as a major source of revenue for organised crime groups, and is often tied in with other forms of serious crime, such as firearms, modern slavery and immigration crime.

What is the law on drug trafficking?

The laws on drug trafficking, as with any other drug offence in the UK, are very strict. Currently, drug trafficking is seen as a significant issue in the UK, with the National Crime Agency (NCA) reporting that drug trafficking into the UK costs an estimated £10.7 billion per year.

In response to the issue, the NCA and other regional crime agencies use extensive and complex surveillance tactics, undertaking lengthy undercover operations to combat drug trafficking.

What are the sentencing guidelines for drug trafficking?

The sentences that can be imposed for drug trafficking depend on various factors. This will include:

The exact offence(s)
The perceived role played
The quantity of drugs involved
The class of drugs
The length of the operation
Whether any other offences have been committed

For the best chance of a lesser sentence, or to have your conviction overturned, drug trafficking legal advice is imperative. To discuss criminal defence for drug trafficking today, please get in touch.

What is the minimum sentence for drug trafficking?

The minimum sentence you can receive for drug trafficking will be determined by the type of drugs in question. The minimum sentence you could receive for drug trafficking may be a community order – though this only relates to offences for Class C drugs where the offender played a limited role.

If you have been accused of a drug trafficking offence, it is best to discuss your case with a drug trafficking lawyer at the earliest opportunity.

What is the maximum sentence for drug trafficking?

Drug trafficking is a serious crime, which means that the maximum sentence you could receive is life imprisonment. This is why the support and intervention of an expert drug trafficking solicitor is absolutely crucial.

What defences are there for drug trafficking?

There are certain defences which can be used in relation to Section 28 of the Misuse of Drug Act 1971. It is a defence for the accused to show that:

They neither know, suspected, or had reason to suspect, the existence of some fact that the prosecution is required to prove for conviction. For example, that they were in possession of a drug.
They neither believe, suspected, nor had reason to suspect the substance in question was a controlled drug.
That they believed the product to be a controlled drug, which had it been that drug, would mean that no offence would have been committed.

Other defences may arise concerning the precise role someone played in a drug trafficking operation, or whether there is evidence of pressure or coercion. This is something our drug trafficking defence lawyers can support you with if you are charged with drug trafficking.

What should I do if I’ve been accused of drug trafficking?

Being accused of drug trafficking is a serious offence which can result in harsh sentences. If you’ve been accused, it is important that you get in touch with a specialist drug trafficking defence lawyer.

Your lawyer will have the expertise to build you a strong case, improving the changes of a reduced sentence, or even having your charges dropped, depending on the circumstances.

No matter the complexity of your case, our experts at JD Spicer can assist you. To learn more, please contact us using the details below.

Contact our drug trafficking lawyers today

For a free initial consultation, urgent specialist advice, immediate representation, or to speak to us confidentially about an arrest or charges related to conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our drug trafficking defence lawyers.

You can contact our dedicated drug defence lawyers in London, Birmingham, and Manchester by telephone on:

Brent & Camden London Office: 020 7624 7771
Manchester Office: 0161 835 1638
Birmingham Office: 0121 614 3333
City of London: 0207 624 7771 (our senior Solicitors and Partners can meet by appointment in the City)
Or email: solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk

Alternatively, you can fill out our quick online enquiry form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

24/7 legal representation for drug trafficking

We are available to represent clients all over England and Wales who require drug trafficking legal advice at any time, so please contact our solicitors for drug trafficking, using our Emergency Numbers:

Birmingham – 07891 777090
Brent & Camden London – 07836 577556
Manchester – 07798 701339

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