Drug Trafficking & Drug Conspiracies

Linenhall Chambers criminal barristers have a leading reputation in cases involving drug offences, particularly large-scale drug conspiracies, drug trafficking and conspiracies connected to organised crime, County lines drug operations and multi handed Class A drug conspiracies and importation.

Members of the Linenhall team hold very close working relationships with prosecuting bodies including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in both England and Wales, the Complex Crime Unit (CCU) for Wales and for Mersey/Cheshire and Border Force to whom they often provide pre-case advice and with whom they work closely to successfully bring prosecutions, often working on cases over months and even years.

Our barristers consistently feature in very high-profile cases and members from the Linenhall team have been instructed for both the prosecution and for defendants in cases such as Operation Casino, Operation Thunderball, Operation Blue Kyanite, Operation Venetic, Operation Samurai, Operation Elusive, Operation Tagatose, Operation Blue Lancelot and Operation Blue Glacier, to name but a few.

The team’s high level of specialism in drugs cases means they are appraised of the latest developments in the investigation of drugs cases within serious organised crime and Linenhall’s barristers are experts in drugs cases connected to the high profile Encrochat operation which led to thousands of arrests across the UK and Europe in 2020.

Our team utilise their working knowledge of both prosecution and defence work to provide fully rounded advice for clients, helping them to achieve the best possible outcome in their cases. They are deeply experienced and adept at dealing with significant volumes of evidence and supporting material, presenting and critiquing expert evidence and providing exemplary case management for their clients including the provision a highly responsive service when urgency is required.

The team take instructions from instructing solicitors as well as taking direct access clients from across England and Wales. Linenhall is amongst the leading sets for criminal work in the North-West, and North Wales. The team includes a number of Welsh speakers, and members have expertise in dealing in the cross-border/freedom of movement issues arising from criminal activity concerning the Port of Holyhead.

The team can also provide expert guidance in relation to proceeds of crime applications, asset recovery and restraint and confiscation orders ancillary to criminal proceedings as well as Serious Crime Prevention Orders, and Criminal Behaviour Orders.