Clause 2 - Proof of intention to supply a controlled drug
Drugs Bill
3:45 pm
Ms Caroline Flint (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (reducing organised and international crime, anti drugs co-ordination and international and European issues), Home Office; Don Valley, Labour)
The amendment relates to a clause that creates a presumption of intent to supply, where the defendant is found to be in possession of a particular amount of a controlled drug.
Just to set the context, we met a group of police officers working in the National Criminal Intelligence Service and in police forces throughout the country, all of whom were in one way or another involved in tackling drugs supply offences. One concern was raised in relation to how, on occasions, people involved in drug dealing would claim that their drugs were just for personal use to avoid a supply charge. I have also seen dealers on CCTV depositing small packets of a drug in the street and going back and forth, selling drugs and returning for their supply.