Illegal drugs 'destroy lives and communities'

Mark Thone was jailed for nine years and 10 months on Thursday

Illegal drugs "destroy lives and communities" and there is "no place" for them on the Isle of Man, a detective inspector has said following the sentencing of three men involved in importing £99k of cocaine.

The Nottingham-based men were sentenced at Douglas Courthouse on Thursday for being involved in a plot to import the drug to the island stashed in a mini fridge.

Mark Thone, 61, was jailed for nine years and 10 months, Adrian Larcombe, 59, received 14 years and six months and John Laird, 37, was jailed for 12 years and six months.

Det Insp Chas Maloney said: "While the street value of drugs on the island is higher than in the UK, so too are the custodial sentences for those caught."

Adrian Larcombe was jailed for 14 years and six months

He added: "The importation and supply of illegal drugs on the Isle of Man is a serious issue which is compounded by cross border criminals exploiting our vulnerabilities."

He said the island "may appear attractive to cross border organised crime groups seeking to import and supply drugs but it isn't worth the risk and the substantial penalties".

The court had previously heard how Thone and Larcombe went to a retail park in Nottingham to buy the mini fridge before Thone stashed the drugs inside.

Laird then drove Thone to a depot in Lancashire to drop the package off, the court had heard.

John Laird was jailed for 12 years and six months

The package, which had been addressed to an alias Jessica Summers in Laxey, was flagged as suspicious and then intercepted by police when it arrived on the island.

Thone had pleaded guilty to being concerned in importing cocaine while Larcombe and Laird were convicted at trial for the same charge.

The three men were also placed under a five-year exclusion order banning them from returning to the island once released from prison.

"Illegal drugs destroy lives and communities and there is absolutely no place for such offending on our island," Det Insp Maloney said.

The constabulary had worked alongside partner organisations to "robustly deter, disrupt and bring those responsible for such offending to justice," he added.