Law

Drug Trafficking Act 1994

United Kingdom · statute

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In force since 2016-11-30, as the publisher states.

Copy read on 2026-11-08. The page it was read from

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.

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Contents: 74 provisions
  1. Title and introductory text
  2. 1 Meaning of “drug trafficking” and “drug trafficking offence”.
  3. 2 Confiscation orders.
  4. 3 Postponed determinations.
  5. 4 Assessing the proceeds of drug trafficking.
  6. 5 Amount to be recovered under confiscation order.
  7. 6 Meaning of “amount that might be realised” and “realisable property”.
  8. 7 Value of property etc.
  9. 8 Gifts caught by this Act.
  10. 9 Application of procedure for enforcing fines.
  11. 10 Interest on sums unpaid under confiscation orders.
  12. 11 Statements relating to drug trafficking.
  13. 12 Provision of information by defendant.
  14. 13 Reconsideration of case where court has not proceeded under section 2.
  15. 14 Re-assessment of whether defendant has benefited from drug trafficking.
  16. 15 Revised assessment of proceeds of drug trafficking.
  17. 16 Increase in realisable property.
  18. 17 Inadequacy of realisable property.
  19. 18 Compensation.
  20. 19 Powers of High Court where defendant has absconded or died.
  21. 20 Effect of conviction where High Court has acted under section 19.
  22. 21 Variation of confiscation orders made by virtue of section 19.
  23. 22 Compensation etc where absconder is acquitted.
  24. 23 Power to discharge confiscation order and order compensation where absconder returns.
  25. 24 Provisions supplementary to sections 21, 22 and 23.
  26. 25 Cases in which restraint orders and charging orders may be made.
  27. 26 Restraint orders.
  28. 27 Charging orders in respect of land, securities etc.
  29. 28 Charging orders: supplementary provisions.
  30. 29 Realisation of property.
  31. 30 Application of proceeds of realisation and other sums.
  32. 31 Exercise by High Court, county court or receiver of powers for the realisation of property.
  33. 32 Bankruptcy of defendant etc.
  34. 33 Sequestration in Scotland of defendant etc.
  35. 34 Winding up of company holding realisable property.
  36. 35 Insolvency officers dealing with property subject to restraint order.
  37. 36 Receivers: supplementary provisions.
  38. 37 Recognition and enforcement of orders and functions under Part I of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987.
  39. 38 Enforcement of Northern Ireland orders.
  40. 39 Enforcement of external confiscation orders.
  41. 40 Registration of external confiscation orders.
  42. 41 Interpretation of Part I.
  43. 42 Seizure and detention.
  44. 43 Forfeiture.
  45. 44 Appeal against forfeiture order made by a magistrates’ court.
  46. 45 Appeal against forfeiture order made by sheriff.
  47. 46 Rules of court.
  48. 47 Receipts.
  49. 48 Interpretation of Part II.
  50. 49 Concealing or transferring proceeds of drug trafficking.
  51. 50 Assisting another person to retain the benefit of drug trafficking.
  52. 51 Acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of drug trafficking.
  53. 52 Failure to disclose knowledge or suspicion of money laundering.
  54. 53 Tipping-off.
  55. 54 Penalties.
  56. 55 Order to make material available.
  57. 56 Authority for search.
  58. 57 Provisions supplementary to sections 55 and 56.
  59. 58 Offence of prejudicing investigation.
  60. 59 Disclosure of information held by government departments.
  61. 59A Construction of sections 55 to 59
  62. 60 Revenue and Customs prosecutions
  63. 61 Extension of certain offences to Crown servants and exemptions for regulators etc.
  64. 62 Meaning of “property” and related expressions.
  65. 63 General interpretation.
  66. 64 Index of defined expressions.
  67. 65 Consequential amendments and modifications of other Acts.
  68. 66 Transitional provisions and savings.
  69. 67 Repeals etc.
  70. 68 Extent.
  71. 69 Short title and commencement.
  72. SCHEDULE 1
  73. SCHEDULE 2 Transitional provisions etc
  74. SCHEDULE 3 Repeals

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74 provisions

Title and introductory text

Drug Trafficking Act 1994 1994 c. 37 An Act to consolidate the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 and certain provisions of the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990 relating to drug trafficking. [3rd November 1994] Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

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1 Meaning of “drug trafficking” and “drug trafficking offence”.

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2 Confiscation orders.

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3 Postponed determinations.

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4 Assessing the proceeds of drug trafficking.

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5 Amount to be recovered under confiscation order.

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6 Meaning of “amount that might be realised” and “realisable property”.

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7 Value of property etc.

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8 Gifts caught by this Act.

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9 Application of procedure for enforcing fines.

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10 Interest on sums unpaid under confiscation orders.

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11 Statements relating to drug trafficking.

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12 Provision of information by defendant.

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13 Reconsideration of case where court has not proceeded under section 2.

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14 Re-assessment of whether defendant has benefited from drug trafficking.

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15 Revised assessment of proceeds of drug trafficking.

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16 Increase in realisable property.

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17 Inadequacy of realisable property.

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18 Compensation.

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19 Powers of High Court where defendant has absconded or died.

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20 Effect of conviction where High Court has acted under section 19.

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21 Variation of confiscation orders made by virtue of section 19.

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22 Compensation etc where absconder is acquitted.

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23 Power to discharge confiscation order and order compensation where absconder returns.

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24 Provisions supplementary to sections 21, 22 and 23.

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25 Cases in which restraint orders and charging orders may be made.

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26 Restraint orders.

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27 Charging orders in respect of land, securities etc.

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28 Charging orders: supplementary provisions.

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29 Realisation of property.

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30 Application of proceeds of realisation and other sums.

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31 Exercise by High Court, county court or receiver of powers for the realisation of property.

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32 Bankruptcy of defendant etc.

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33 Sequestration in Scotland of defendant etc.

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34 Winding up of company holding realisable property.

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35 Insolvency officers dealing with property subject to restraint order.

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36 Receivers: supplementary provisions.

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37 Recognition and enforcement of orders and functions under Part I of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1987.

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38 Enforcement of Northern Ireland orders.

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39 Enforcement of external confiscation orders.

(1) Her Majesty may by Order in Council— (a) direct in relation to a country or territory outside the United Kingdom designated by the Order (a “designated country”) that, subject to such modifications as may be specified, the relevant provisions of this Act shall apply to external confiscation orders and to proceedings which have been or are to be instituted in the designated country and may result in an external confiscation order being made there; (b) make— (i) such provision in connection with the taking of action in the designated country with a view to satisfying a confiscation order, (ii) such provision as to evidence or proof of any matter for the purposes of this section and section 40 of this Act, and (iii) such incidental, consequential and transitional provision, as appears to Her Majesty to be expedient; and (c) (without prejudice to the generality of this subsection) direct that, in such circumstances as may be specified, proceeds which arise out of action taken in the designated country with a view to satisfying a confiscation order shall be treated as reducing the amount payable under the order to such extent as may be specified. (2) In this section “external confiscation order” means an order made by a court in a designated country for the purpose of recovering, or recovering the value of, payments or other rewards received in connection with drug trafficking. (3) An Order in Council under this section may make different provision for different cases or classes of case. (4) The power to make an Order in Council under this section includes power to modify the relevant provisions of this Act in such a way as to confer power on a person to exercise a discretion. (5) An Order in Council under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament. (6) For the purposes of this section, “the relevant provisions of this Act” are this Part, except sections 10 and 16, and Part IV.

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