Trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug

Legislation: Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) s 302.2

Maximum penalty: Life imprisonment, 7,500 penalty units, or both

Period: 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2024

Jurisdiction: higher courts

Charges

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Cases

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All outcomes

Males

Females

Aged under 25

Aged 25 to 54

Aged 55 and over

*Note: unavailable options have under 10 cases

Charge data

In the higher courts, 15 charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug were sentenced in the five years to 30 June 2024. The most common sentence for a charge of this offence was imprisonment (100% or 15 charges).

On SACStat, a charge is a single count of a sentenced offence. Charge data is most useful in understanding how a specific crime is usually sentenced.

Case data

In 11 cases sentenced in the higher courts in the five years to 30 June 2024, trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug was the principal proven offence (the most serious crime in the case). Among the 11 cases, 9 people were male and 2 people were female. The most common outcome for cases was imprisonment without a recognizance release order (100% or 11 cases).

A case is a collection of one or more charges against a person or company sentenced at the one hearing. Case data is most useful in understanding the total sentence usually imposed on people found guilty of a particular crime.

Bar graph showing sentence types imposed for charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 1**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 15 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 2**: Imprisonment lengths for charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 15 charges**
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 6 years, the longest is 18 years, and the median is 9 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 9 years and half are above.
**Note**: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment).

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 3**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug by financial year
**Number: 15 charges**

Bar graph showing the number of charges each year for the offence of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 4**: Number of charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug by financial year
**Number: 15 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths each year for charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 5**: Average imprisonment lengths for charges of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug by financial year
**Number: 15 charges**
**Note**: The graph only includes imprisonment that was not part of an aggregate sentence (non-aggregate imprisonment).

Bar graph showing sentence types for all offenders for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 6A**: Sentencing outcomes for all people for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 11 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 25 to 54 for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 6E**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 10 cases**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 7A**: Imprisonment lengths for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 11 cases**, including imprisonment only (11 cases), imprisonment with a recognizance release order where the person is released immediately (0 cases), and imprisonment with a recognizance release order where the person is released after serving some time in prison (0 cases).
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 6 years, the longest is 19.5 years, and the median is 10.5 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 10.5 years and half are above.

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 7E**: Imprisonment lengths for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 10 cases**
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 6 years, the longest is 19.5 years, and the median is 10.62 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 10.62 years and half are above.

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths without a recognizance release order for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 7G**: Imprisonment lengths without a recognizance release order (RRO) for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 11 cases**
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 6 years, the longest is 19.5 years, and the median is 10.5 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 10.5 years and half are above.

Bar graph showing non-parole periods for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 8**: Non-parole periods for all people for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 11 cases**
**Note**: Imprisonment terms do not include a recognizance release order.
**Range and median**: The shortest non-parole period is 3.5 years, the longest is 12.25 years, and the median is 6.75 years, meaning that half of the non-parole periods are below 6.75 years and half are above.

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 10**: Sentencing outcomes for all cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug by financial year
**Number: 11 cases**

Bar graph showing the number of cases each year for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 11**: Number of cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug for all people by financial year
**Number: 11 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length each year for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 12A**: Average imprisonment lengths for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug by financial year
**Number: 11 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length each year (excluding combined orders) for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 12B**: Average imprisonment lengths (excluding combined orders) for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug by financial year
**Number: 11 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length and average non-parole period for each year for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 12C**: Average imprisonment lengths and non-parole periods (NPPs) for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug by financial year
**Number: 11 cases**
**Note**: *NPP Cases* in the graph indicates that only cases with a non-parole period are included.

Bar graph showing age groups of offenders for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 13A**: Ages of offenders (where age is known) for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 11 cases**

Bar graph showing gender of offenders for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 13B**: Gender of offenders (where gender is known) for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 11 cases**

Bar graph showing the number of charges in cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug — **Figure 13C**: Number of charges per case (of any sentenced offence) for cases of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug
**Number: 11 cases**