The Movement of Controlled Drugs in Transit

Regulations 6(6) and (7) of The Misuse of Drugs Regulations (Northern Ireland) provides inter alia that:

(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 5(1) of the Act, any of the persons so specified may have any controlled drug in his possession.

(7) The persons referred to in paragraphs (5) and (6) are -

(a) a constable when acting in the course of his duty as such;
(b) a person engaged in the business of a carrier when acting in the course of that business;
(c) a person engaged in the business of a postal operator (within the meaning of the Postal Services Act 2000) when acting in the course of that business;
(d) an officer of customs and excise when acting in the course of his duty as such;
(e) a person engaged in the work of any laboratory to which the drug has been sent for forensic examination when acting in the course of his duty as a person so engaged;
(f) a person engaged in conveying the drug to a person who may lawfully have that drug in his possession.

Carriers are therefore exempt from the licensing requirement for controlled drugs when acting in their capacity as such (and longer term storage is not taking place).

The Home Office issued guidance from which extracts may be a useful reference for those entering into this business. You can see it by clicking HO Transit Guidelines 2003 (PDF 122KB)