Chief warns organised drug gangs targeting Island

Police chiefs in the Island say drug seizures so far this year are up on the previous year and are promising no let-up in the fight against dealers based in north-west England.

Tough penalties for those caught importing illegal drugs has led to a drop in the quantity of class A drugs brought in.

But there's been a corresponding rise in the amount of cannabis seized by the force, with more than £400,000 worth of the class B drug at Island street prices recovered since last April.

That haul includes two sizable seisures at Heysham port in a joint operation with Lancashire Police.

Chief Constable Gary Roberts says despite the harsh custodial setences facing those caught smuggling drugs, the Island remains a lucrative market in which criminal gangs are actively trying to secure a foothold.

He says the Manx community faces a growing threat from those involved in serious and organised crime: