Ever wondered what to do if you suspect the police are investigating you for drugs? This blog post will detail the different actions people should take when they believe they are under investigation.
We will discuss how to know if the police are investigating you and offer advice on what steps to take during an investigation. By understanding how drug investigations work, crime suspects can arm themselves with the knowledge to help them avoid trouble down the road.
Table of Contents:
- How do police investigate drug dealers?
- Drug Investigation Techniques and Tactics
- What should you do if you are being investigated for drugs?
HOW DO POLICE INVESTIGATE DRUG DEALERS?
Drug investigations can be initiated by the police or by law enforcement. There are some instances where the police will actively investigate a person, but they will generally monitor the suspect's activities for most drug investigations.
Many drug cases involve no more than one or two instances from an ongoing series of drug transactions. In these cases, it's usually enough for the police to see that they are involved in drugs or money laundering.
However, every once in a while, an investigation will arise from only one instance of possible drug activity. In these cases, more often than not, the police will just be investigating the suspect for some money laundering.
In this case, what can the suspect do to protect their rights?
Learn what police use the most typical investigative techniques in drug investigations
The main thing that stands out about drug investigations is that they are generally relatively informal to begin with. In many cases, an investigation will be run by a detective or two who are essentially waiting to see what a suspect will do.
When the police initiate and lead their drug investigations, they heavily rely on informants or undercover officers. While some of these investigations may result in arrests being made right away, most drug investigations are built upon a series of observations.
The role of informants is highly crucial during drug investigations. Informants can play the roles of both buyers and sellers.
In most drug investigations, a seller will be arrested for purchasing drugs from an informant, while the regular user will act as someone buying from the same informant.
As long as an informant has some contact with a person they can exchange currency for drugs with, they will get the police information.
It can be done in various ways, such as providing an actual substance or, in some cases hiding money that may have been used for drugs.
Learn how to recognize whether or not the police are investigating you
A common trend that people will see in drug investigations is that they will not be involved in any activity until the police have taken some action.
As soon as the police arrest or even observe a person doing something unusual, they will immediately send this information to their senior officers.
It may include following a person for long periods, following a person's activities using a GPS device, finding unusual bank accounts, and so on. In many cases, the police will watch a suspect for months before they will ever inform the suspect of the investigation.
The prominent primary way people become aware that they are under investigation is through a raid. A raid can occur at any time that may seem suspicious to police; however, it often happens when there is reason to believe a person may have some money or drugs in their house.
The primary way to know if you are being investigated is to notice activity around your house that seems out of place. If you see a police officer at your home, you should immediately contact them and tell them what they are doing.
If you do this correctly, the police will have to provide a legitimate reason for their presence. Moreover, if you call your local police department and ask to speak with the detective handling your case, they will generally tell you that an investigation is going on.
Contact A Criminal Attorney
The longer it takes you to contact an attorney, the more danger you are putting yourself into. Once the police have identified someone as possibly being involved in drugs, they will generally follow that person around.
It may be in the form of watching their house or even following the person while traveling to and from work. All of these are ways that the police will begin to build a case against you.
As soon as you know that police may be investigating you, it is imperative to contact an attorney immediately. In most drug crimes or money laundering cases, the defense attorney will try to work with the prosecutor and police to get the charges dropped.
WHAT ARE THE DRUG INVESTIGATION TE CHNIQUES AND TACTICS?
When the police are involved in drug investigations, they will utilize various techniques and tactics to investigate. Many times, these tactics are used to get information on suspects or to infiltrate a drug organization.
The police usually use their informants or undercover officers to gather information. This section will discuss some of the most common tactics and techniques that the police may use when investigating a person for drugs.
Surveilling a person with GPS devices
One of the more common ways that the police gather information is by using GPS technology to track someone's movements. This technology can be used in various ways; however, generally speaking, the police will use it to track suspects' movements.
Using this information, they will gather evidence against someone and often use it to construct a case against them. The logistics of GPS tracking are simple; the police will attach either a device or an electronic chip onto the suspect's vehicle.
It will then track their movements and record data such as where they went, how long they stayed there, and how fast they were going.
Undercover sting operations against drug sales
Undercover sting operations are a popular way that the police gather information and evidence against suspects. While there are many different ways that undercover officers may try and induce people to buy drugs, we will only cover a few in this section.
The first type of sting operation involves the undercover officer posing as a drug dealer. They will then attempt to "sell" drugs to various people without actually selling them anything.
It is done to induce someone into actually buying some drugs. In the second type of sting operation, undercover officers will pose as drug users and attempt to purchase drugs from suspects.
It is a popular tactic that police use because it allows them to get around any legal difficulties that may come about from actually selling drugs.
Wiretapping against drug suspects
Wiretapping is another popular way that the police gather information related to drug investigations. It is generally done using a device that will usually be placed on someone's car or place of work.
It will then allow the police to listen in on their conversations and gather information about them. The police may even use a secret recording tool to record what they are saying as well.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE BEING INVESTIGATED FOR DRUGS?
When you are being investigated for drug charges, you should be prepared to do a few things to protect yourself and your case. Here we will go over some of the more essential things you should consider if you face drug charges.
Know your rights and what to do when you are arrested
If you are being investigated or have already been arrested by police, it is essential to know your rights and further what to do. The first step in most cases is to call an attorney as soon as possible.
It is because the longer you wait to contact one, the more likely it is that you will give up necessary legal rights such as the right to remain silent or your right to speak with an attorney.
The second thing that they will want from you is any information about the case and what occurred. The best thing to do is write out a list of all the things you know about the case and your knowledge.
It can help your lawyer during the trial and allow them to build a better defense for you.
Protecting yourself (if you are arrested)
Regardless of what drug charges you are facing, it is essential to understand how the law works. The police may not have a solid case against you if they cannot find any evidence related to their investigation or investigation procedure.
One of the issues in many drug cases is that the police often do not search your car or belongings when they make their initial arrest. It is because they need sufficient evidence to show that you knew about the drugs within your car or on your person.
The only way that a police officer can search you and your car for drugs is if they have enough suspicion to believe that you may be carrying these substances. It is why it is essential to know your rights if you have already been arrested and have probable cause to search your belongings.
Conclusion
As you can see, drug offenses can occur in a great many different ways. It is essential to understand that the police may not always have enough evidence to charge you and that they could be investigating you for other alleged crimes as well.
We would highly suggest that if you face drug charges or have been accused of using drugs, it is in your best interest to contact an attorney immediately and discuss your case with them.