By Chris Green
Hundreds of suspected drug dealers in Scotland evaded justice over the past three years due to delays, new figures reveal.
Data obtained by 1919 shows that 573 charges relating to drug supply had to be dropped by prosecutors between 2022/23 and 2024/25.
The charges were unable to be heard by the courts as statutory time-bar limits had been reached, according to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).
The figures, provided following a freedom of information request, show that a total of 1,624 cases were marked as ‘no action: time-barred on receipt’.
Within these cases there were 2,876 specific charges, of which 573 related to drug supply and 1,170 to drug possession.
The number of cases being dropped due to delays fell over the three years, from 749 in 2022/23 to 347 in 2024/25.
But Annemarie Ward, CEO of addiction recovery charity FAVOR UK, described the figures as “deeply concerning” in the context of Scotland’s drug deaths crisis.
She told 1919: “To see that 573 suspected drug supply cases were abandoned on a technicality over the past three years is nothing short of shocking.
“For families burying their loved ones, it will look like the system has simply given up. When front line services are overwhelmed and communities are crying out for action, the last thing the public needs is to discover that suspected dealers are slipping through the net because cases are not being processed in time.
“People who profit from destroying lives should face justice, while those trapped in addiction must be offered genuine routes to recovery. At present, both are being undermined.”
“When communities are crying out for action, the last thing the public needs is to discover that suspected dealers are slipping through the net”
Annemarie Ward, CEO of FAVOR UK
The figures highlighted a number of other charges which had to be dropped over the past three years, ranging from violent acts to thefts and motor offences.
A total of 226 charges of driving under the influence and 98 of dangerous or careless driving were unable to proceed, as well as 14 charges of common assault.
Other charges which did not reach court included 14 car thefts, 27 acts of vandalism, 23 speeding offences and 21 environment offences. Crimes which do not have a time bar, such as attempted murder, were not included in the figures.
The COPFS pointed out that even if prosecutors could not proceed with a charge which was time-barred, an individual could still face court on another charge.
A spokesperson said: “Prosecutors recognise that there were delays affecting forensic analysis involving drug offences in and around 2022.
“COPFS will continue to work with and provide feedback to Police Scotland on charges which are reported late by police or time-barred on receipt.
“The number of cases which we receive which are time-barred on receipt form a small proportion of those reported to us.”
Chief Superintendent Christopher Stewart said: “We are committed to conducting a professional and thorough investigation into all reported crimes and reporting individuals to the Procurator Fiscal in a timely manner, should evidence indicate that a crime has been committed.
“Officers recognise the time limits in place to report such matters and work diligently to adhere to these, with only a very small proportion ever being reported outwith the required window.
“We continue to work closely with Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service partners to ensure standards are maintained and improved as necessary.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The reporting of crime to prosecutors is an operational matter for Police Scotland and they have indicated they focus on seeking to report cases within time limits.
“We take the issue of drug dealing very seriously and are determined to tackle drug harms, which is why we are providing record levels of funding for drugs and alcohol programmes, including widening access to treatment, residential rehabilitation and life-saving naloxone.
“We are also working at pace to deliver drug-checking facilities and we opened the UK’s first safer drug consumption facility which is saving lives.
“Scotland continues to be a safe place to live with reported crime falling by more than half since 1991. This year we will invest £4.2 billion across the justice system including a record £1.64 billion for policing – an increase of £90 million on 2024/25.”