Importing and Exporting Drugs or Precursors
Prosecuting drug importation offences are a major part of our work and attract some of the highest penalties imposed by courts.
Serious drug offences, particularly importations, are rarely committed by one person. In most cases they involve multiple players working at different levels and in different ways.
As a result, we often have to rely on extension of criminal liability provisions involving conspiracy, joint commission or accessorial liability in order to prosecute all those involved in an importation.
Key legislation
Main offences
- s307.1(1) Criminal Code – importing commercial quantities of border controlled drugs or plants
- s307.11(1) Criminal Code – importing commercial quantities of border controlled precursors.
Penalties
The maximum penalties for importing/exporting border controlled drug offences are:
- Life imprisonment for s307.1 Criminal Code – importing/exporting commercial quantity of border controlled drugs/plants
- 25 years’ imprisonment for s307.2 Criminal Code – importing/exporting marketable quantity of border controlled drugs/plants
- 10 years’ imprisonment for s307.3 Criminal Code – importing/exporting border controlled drugs.
The maximum penalties for importing/exporting border controlled precursors are:
- 25 years’ imprisonment s307.11 Criminal Code – importing/exporting commercial quantity of border controlled precursors
- 15 years’ imprisonment for s307.12 Criminal Code – importing/exporting marketable quantity of border controlled precursors
- 7 years’ imprisonment for s307.13 Criminal Code – importing/exporting border controlled precursors.