Dealers who sell drugs near schools or use children as couriers could face stiffer penalties. This is one of a number of measures introduced by the Drugs Act 2005 which came into force on 1 January 2006 to target drug dealers.
Also included are powers for police to request x-rays of dealers suspected of swallowing Class A drugs and tougher sentences to foil
those who conceal drugs in their body cavities. The measures are part of the Government strategy to focus on the substances that are most harmful and deal severely with those who supply drugs.
The Drugs Act 2005 will also increase the maximum amount of time suspected ‘drug mules’ arrested by the police can be held in custody from 96 hours to 192 hours. This will allow time for drugs to pass through the suspects’ system.
The Government also announced that from 1 January 2006 Ketamine will become a Class C drug following the recommendation made in November 2005 by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD)
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