The Counter Narcotics Bill 2026, introduced in Parliament yesterday, proposes significantly tougher penalties for serious illicit drug offences, including fines of up to $50 million and life imprisonment.
Under Division 2 of the Bill, unlawful importation or exportation of a Class A illicit drug would carry a maximum fine of $50 million, life imprisonment, or both.
For Class B drugs, the maximum penalty would be a $30 million fine, up to 30 years’ imprisonment, or both, while Class C offences would attract a fine of up to $15 million, up to 15 years’ imprisonment, or both.
The same penalties are proposed for the unlawful cultivation, production, manufacture, sale, supply and possession of illicit drugs for the purpose of selling, supplying or administering.
The Bill would also cover dealings involving the storage, transfer, transport, use, manufacture, sale, import or export of illicit drugs.
A key provision concerns drug quantities.
Where a person possesses an amount at or above the threshold specified in Schedule 4, the Bill would presume that the drugs were possessed for the purpose of sale, supply or administration unless the contrary is proved.
For personal possession, acquisition or use, the proposed penalties are substantially lower.
A Class A offence would carry a fine of up to $1000, up to six months’ imprisonment, or both.
Class B and Class C offences would carry a maximum fine of $500 or up to three months’ imprisonment, or both.
However, for Class C personal possession, the Bill states that a court must not impose a custodial sentence unless previous convictions or exceptional circumstances justify imprisonment.
The Bill also creates specific offences relating to children.
A person aged 18 or over who sells, supplies or administers an illicit drug to a child, or procures a child to sell, supply or administer drugs, would face the same maximum penalties of up to $50 million and life imprisonment for Class A drugs.
The Bill also includes an offence relating to failing to prevent drug use by a child, with further provisions continuing beyond the sections introduced above.
The Bill will be debated tomorrow.
