Mr Adrian Lugg
Drug Expert Witness
About me.
I am a trained Drugs Expert and am the founder of The Drug Expert Witness Service based in Hampshire.
I have an up-to-date knowledge on the identification of drugs, their values, the relevance of paraphernalia, associated documents, methods used by persons involved in drug supply and users to evade arrest, and the interpretation of terms used within the drug trade.
I provide expert evidence in Organised Crime and Drug Trafficking cases and have experience in providing expert opinion in complex Encrochat investigations.
I provide expert opinion for both prosecution and defence cases and have produced reports to assist the Courts and the Court process in relation to over 750 investigations since 2018. I have given live evidence in Youth, Magistrate, and Crown Courts.
Prior to my recent retirement from Hampshire and IOW Constabulary in February 2025, I was the Drug Expert Witness Coordinator and Force drug advisor. I was the lead quality assurance / peer reviewer of reports being generated by Hampshire and IOW Constabulary's drug experts.
Curriculum Vitae
I recently retired as a Detective Constable within Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. Trained as a Drug Expert Witness in 2018 I went on to become one of three full time Drug Expert Witnesses for the Force.
I have passed relevant training courses to be able to provide expert evidence in Organised Crime and Drug Trafficking cases and have experience in providing Drug Expert Witness reports in Encrochat investigations. These often involve thousands upon thousands of messages requiring review and interpretation. In addition to this, I am experienced in supply investigations concerning Heroin and Crack Cocaine including County Lines, Cocaine including Albanian supply methods, MDMA / Ecstasy, Ketamine, Cannabis including cultivation, and Amphetamine. I have 10 years of Festival experience, working at the Boomtown Festival near Winchester, the Isle of Wight Festival, Victorious, and Bestival before it moved out of Hampshire.
At Hampshire and IOW Constabulary, I was responsible for the allocation of other Drug Experts upon receipt of requests from case officers. I conducted the majority of the Quality Assurance/Peer Reviews of Drug Expert Witness reports for Hampshire Drug Experts. I sat on the Strategic Drug Related Harm panel, advising the Force on matters concerning drug safety for officers and staff. In 2023 I implemented safety equipment to allow safer testing of drugs in force and provided training to all other Drug Experts in Hampshire and IOW Constabulary in relation to the Forensic Science Regulator's Code of Practice [Version 1] which came in to force on 2nd October 2023.
A chronological list of my relevant experience can be found by viewing my CV which is held within my NEWA profile. Click the link below or here to access it.
