The number of persons found guilty at all courts for offences related to drug trafficking, people trafficking, firearm trafficking and endangered species trafficking, England and Wales, 1998 to 2008 (latest available) is shown in the following table. Information available centrally through the Court Proceedings Database holds information in relation to the offence as stipulated by law. From this information it is not possible to ascertain at what point an offence was committed.
Data for offences under the ‘Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997’ are part of a miscellaneous group of offences for which 2008 data are not yet separately available. I will write to the hon. Member when these data become available.
Data for 2009 are planned for publication in the autumn, 2010.
Offence description 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 20081 Unlawful importation of a drug controlled under misuse of Drugs Act 1971 1,190 1,171 1,165 1,648 1,599 1,063 975 1,026 835 783 745 Unlawful exportation of a drug controlled under misuse of Drugs Act 1971 59 25 40 30 21 18 37 35 35 36 31 Production of or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug. 1,779 1,477 1,175 952 1,114 1,657 1,379 1,360 1,480 2,120 2,627 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply. 5,549 5,069 4,607 4,405 4,452 4,834 4,887 5,097 5,062 5,499 6,443 Supplying or offering to supply (or being concerned in supplying or offering to supply) a controlled drug. 3,819 3,717 3,341 3,214 3,300 3,461 3,619 3,707 3,499 3,507 3,940 Having a controlled drug in possession on a ship; Being knowingly concerned in the carrying or concealing of a controlled drug on a ship. 16 1 1 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 — Concealing or transferring the proceeds of drug trafficking; Assisting another person to retain the benefit of drug trafficking; Acquisition, possession or Use of proceeds of drug trafficking. 16 30 26 42 38 49 27 20 6 7 6 Sub-total drugs trafficking offences4 12,428 11,490 10,355 10,297 10,525 11,083 10,925 11,246 10,918 11,953 13,792 Arranging or facilitating arrival of a person into the UK for sexual exploitation (trafficking) * * * * * * — 9 6 9 11 Trafficking people into the UK for the purpose of exploitation * * * * * * — — 3 — — Sub-total people trafficking offences5 * * * * * * — 9 9 9 11 Offence in relation to the unlawful importation of any weapon or ammunition of a kind mentioned in s.5(1)(a), (ab), (aba), (ac), (ad), (ae), (af) or (c) of the Firearms Act 1968. — — — — — — — 4 2 2 3 Sub-total firearms trafficking offences6 — — — — — — — 4 2 2 3 Offences under the Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997 — — 6 6 3 2 3 — 10 — 7n/a Sub-total endangered species trafficking offences — — 6 6 3 2 3 — 10 — 7n/a 1 Excludes convictions for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. 2 The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 4 Includes offences under statutes: Customs and Excise Management Act 1979; Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as amended by Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990; Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. 5 Includes offences under statutes: Sexual Offences Act 2003, sections 57 & 58; Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants) Act 2004, section 4(1) & (5). 6 Includes offences under statute: Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, section 50(1)(2)(3)(4) & (5A). 7 Offences under the ‘Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997’ form part of a miscellaneous group of offences for which 2008 data are not yet separately available. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.