Monday’s episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody told three overlapping stories with three different perspectives into the drug trade.

Top of the UK chain was a tattoo artist who was caught after customs officials intercepted a kilo of drugs hidden inside gym equipment addressed to his apartment. He received 16 years in prison.

Then there was a senior clinical nurse who was found asleep in his car with bags of white powder that he had been supplying at sex parties. This man received two-and-a-half years.

And thirdly, there was the young struggling father with debt who had agreed to store a large amount of drugs in his house for the Tattooist in return for £15k. He never did receive the money, and the consequence of his involvement resulted in a 10 year prison sentence.

But why are we talking about this?

Our job is to provide free group therapy to people who want to get well from addiction. Whilst we see the beautiful results of lives turned around, we are very aware that illegal drugs and their trafficking effects the lives of many people.

We are a relatively small charity relying on donations and funding to tackle the big problem of drug addiction.

 We see, daily, the destruction caused in the life of the person taking the substance. But there are many other people along the drug’s journey who are affected. Of course, this is something we rarely think much about in active addiction, because we need what we need and that’s as far as it goes.

But how does it get to us? Where does it come from? Who has been part of the supply?

The National Crime Agency (NCA) tell us that organised crime groups involved in drug trafficking are typically also involved in a range of criminal activity, and the profits from illegal drugs are used to fund other forms of criminal operations, including buying illegal firearms and financing terrorism.

Crime associated with drug trafficking is very often violent, with direct links to the criminal use of firearms and gang feud knife attacks, and traffickers frequently exploit young and vulnerable people.

Not forgetting County Line drug networks that are a mechanism by which that method of supply is supported; namely the use of a mobile telephone line and the use of vulnerable adults and children to facilitate the distribution. These children are often aged around15-17.  Importing areas are reporting increased levels of violence and weapons-related crimes as a result of this trend.

It’s deep and it’s heavy to think about, but it is very real.

Our daily work in treating people and their families living with addiction in Hertfordshire continues. We are proud of every person that turns their life around from illegal drug use, each amazing person that becomes abstinent in recovery is one less vulnerable person in the supply chain of illegal drugs.

Close to home, recovery has an immense impact on the local community. That person is no longer getting arrested or constantly being admitted to hospital. They aren’t disturbing neighbours, acting antisocially or shop-lifting. There’s less strain on mental health services, detox services and courts.

If anything you’ve read here has touched a chord with you and you’d like to begin your recovery journey, please contact us online or call us on 0300 365 0304.