Drug strategy
HM Revenue and Customs
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) contributes to the strategy aim of reducing the availability of illegal drugs in the UK.
The department is responsible for collecting the bulk of tax revenue as well as paying tax credits and child benefit, and strengthening the UK’s frontiers.
HMRC manage:
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income, corporation, capital gains, inheritance, insurance premium, stamp, land and petroleum revenue taxes
- environmental taxes: climate change and aggregates levy and landfill tax
- VAT
- customs duties and frontier protection
- excise duties
- National Insurance
- tax credits
- child benefit and the Child Trust Fund
- enforcement of the national minimum wage
- recovery of student loan repayments
- developing lorry road user charging
Reducing the supply of illegal drugs
The National Investigation Service (NIS) is the criminal arm of HMRC. NIS counters the importation and supply of controlled drugs, dismantling and disrupting drugs smuggling organisations.
Helping other countries
To tackle the production and distribution of illegal drugs, Drugs Liaison Officers work with local law enforcement agencies in countries outside the EU to combat drugs trafficking and associated money laundering. Within HMRC, the National Intelligence Division manages the Drugs Liaison Officer network.
Confiscated Assets Fund
Depriving traffickers of their assets and proceeds of crime. Money confiscated from drug traffickers is made available through the Confiscated Assets Fund to enable local community and voluntary groups in the UK to address drugs issues.
Confidential hotline
HMRC operates a free phone hotline for anyone with information or suspicions about drug trafficking: 0800 59 5000.
For more information about their work, visit the HMRC website (new window).
