Traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence

Legislation: Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 (Vic) s 71(1)

Maximum penalty: Life imprisonment, 5,000 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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Standard sentence

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, 111 charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence were sentenced in the five years to 30 June 2024. The most common sentence for a charge of this offence was imprisonment (99.1% or 110 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 97 cases sentenced in the higher courts in the five years to 30 June 2024, traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence was the principal proven offence (the most serious crime in the case). Among the 97 cases, 92 people were male and 5 people were female. The most common outcome for cases was imprisonment (100% or 97 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 traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 1**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 111 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 2**: Imprisonment lengths for charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 110 charges**
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 4 years, the longest is 17.5 years, and the median is 10 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 10 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 traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 6**: Sentencing outcomes for all charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 111 charges**

Bar graph showing the number of charges each year for the offence of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 7**: Number of charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 111 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths each year for charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 8**: Average imprisonment lengths for charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 110 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 traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 11A**: Sentencing outcomes for all people for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 97 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for male offenders for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 11B**: Sentencing outcomes for males for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 92 cases**

Bar graph showing sentence types for offenders aged 25 to 54 for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 11E**: Sentencing outcomes for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 90 cases**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 12A**: Imprisonment lengths for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 97 cases**, including imprisonment only (97 cases) and imprisonment combined with a community correction order (0 cases).
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 4 years, the longest is 21.5 years, and the median is 11.33 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 11.33 years and half are above.

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for males for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 12B**: Imprisonment lengths for males for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 92 cases**
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 4 years, the longest is 21.5 years, and the median is 11.42 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 11.42 years and half are above.

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 12E**: Imprisonment lengths for people aged 25 to 54 for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 90 cases**
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 4 years, the longest is 21.5 years, and the median is 11.58 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 11.58 years and half are above.

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths without a community correction order for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 12G**: Imprisonment lengths without a community correction order (CCO) for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 97 cases**
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 4 years, the longest is 21.5 years, and the median is 11.33 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 11.33 years and half are above.

Bar graph showing lengths of non-parole periods for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 13**: Non-parole periods for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 97 cases**
**Note**: Imprisonment terms do not include a community correction order.

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 18**: Sentencing outcomes for all cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 97 cases**

Bar graph showing the number of cases each year for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 19**: Number of cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence for all people by financial year
**Number: 97 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length each year for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 20A**: Average imprisonment lengths for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 97 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length each year (excluding combined orders) for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 20B**: Average imprisonment lengths (excluding combined orders) for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 97 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length and average non-parole period for each year for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 20C**: Average imprisonment lengths and non-parole periods (NPPs) for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 97 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 traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 22A**: Ages of offenders (where age is known) for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 97 cases**

Bar graph showing gender of offenders for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 22B**: Gender of offenders (where gender is known) for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 97 cases**

Bar graph showing the number of charges in cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence — **Figure 22C**: Number of charges per case (of any sentenced offence) for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 97 cases**

Bar graph showing the number of charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 23**: Sentencing outcomes for charges of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 88 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths for of charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 24**: Imprisonment lengths for charges of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 87 charges**
**Range and median**: The shortest imprisonment length is 4 years, the longest is 17.5 years, and the median is 10.5 years, meaning that half of the imprisonment lengths are below 10.5 years and half are above.

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year from 2018-19 to 2022-23 for charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 25**: Sentencing outcomes for charges of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 88 charges**

Bar graph showing the number of charges each year between 2018-19 and 2022-23 for the offence of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 26**: Number of charges of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 88 charges**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths each year between 2018-19 and 2022-23 for charges of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 27**: Average imprisonment lengths for charges of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 87 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 traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 28**: Sentencing outcomes for cases of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 77 cases**

Bar graph showing lengths of non-parole periods for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 30**: Non-parole periods for cases of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence
**Number: 77 cases**
**Range and median**: The shortest non-parole period is 3 years, the longest is 15 years, and the median is 7 years, meaning that half of the non-parole periods are below 7 years and half are above.
**Note**: Imprisonment terms do not include imprisonment combined with a community correction order.

Stacked bar graph showing sentences imposed each year from 2018-19 to 2022-23 for all offenders for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 31**: Sentencing outcomes for cases of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 77 cases**

Bar graph showing the number of cases for all offenders each year for the offence of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 32**: Number of cases of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence for all people by financial year
**Number: 77 cases**

Bar graph showing imprisonment lengths each year for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 33A**: Average imprisonment lengths for standard sentence offences for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 77 cases**

Bar graph showing the average imprisonment length and average non-parole period each year for cases of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence subject to the standard sentence for this offence — **Figure 33B**: Average imprisonment lengths and non-parole periods (NPPs) for cases of standard sentence offences of traffick in a large commercial quantity of a drug of dependence by financial year
**Number: 77 cases**