John Hurlock’s client acquitted in major international drugs conspiracy trial

John Hurlock, instructed by Shahnawaz Yaqub of Langfield Law, successfully represented MM who was acquitted by a jury of charges of conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracy to export ketamine.

The prosecution alleged that MM was part of an organised international drugs operation using couriers travelling between the UK and the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Their case ran to thousands of exhibits, extensive phone and messaging evidence, courier and travel records, and expert evidence on international drugs trafficking.

Although MM admitted involvement with cannabis and ketamine, he denied knowingly joining the conspiracies as alleged. The defence’s central challenge was whether the Crown could prove one overarching agreement, rather than several separate operations run by different people in different drugs. 

John argued that association, contact and shared couriers could not, without more, prove knowing participation in a conspiracy, and pointed to the absence of any message showing MM discussing or arranging cocaine importation, evidence that couriers worked for more than one organiser, and a clear evidential line between the cocaine allegations and the admitted cannabis/ketamine activity, including communications about drugs concealed in clothing.

Following a substantial multi-handed trial at Isleworth Crown Court, MM was acquitted on both counts.