Drug mule jailed for smuggling over £9k of cocaine

Leon Glover has been jailed for seven years

A "drugs mule" who smuggled over £9,000 of cocaine to the Isle of Man on the ferry has been jailed for seven years.

On 18 February, Leon Glover, 33, arrived on the island from Heysham at about 17:30 GMT with Jason McQulliams, 30, who was sentenced to four years and 10 months.

As they arrived at the Sea Terminal, the pair split up and police searched them after they were acting suspiciously, with a subsequent search at the hospital revealing that Glover had £9,661 of cocaine concealed within himself.

Jailing the pair, Deemster Graeme Cook said the price of drugs was "much higher on the island" adding "if the mules are stopped, the drugs are stopped".

Douglas Courthouse heard that McQuilliams from Liverpool, who has lived on the island for the past three and a half years had traveled to the city to visit family.

Jason McQuilliams was jailed for four years and ten months

During that trip he met up with Glover, also from Liverpool, for a "catch up" and booked ferry tickets for the pair to travel to the island, with messages indicating that McQuilliams was aware of the drugs, the prosecutor told the court.

While a police search at the Sea Terminal found no drugs on the two men, Glover appeared to be on a substance with his pupils dilated and shaky hands.

The only luggage he had was a plastic bag, the court heard, and the 33-year-old told police he was on the island for a day but did not have a place to stay, later saying that he came to the island to get clean from drugs, the court heard.

The two were taken to Noble's Hospital for a subsequent search, where two packages of cocaine were found on Glover.

Describing Glover as a "drugs mule", his defence advocate argued that the 33-year-old had a "dependency" and had been "taken advantage of".

While McQuilliams' defence said it was "out of character" and he was not aware of the quantity of drugs.

Glover pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply of cocaine, and importing cocaine to the island, while McQuilliams pleaded guilty to importing cocaine to the island.

An exclusion order was placed on Glover, banning him from returning to the island for five years once he is released from the Isle of Man Prison.

Deemster Cook said the two would have seen a sign in the waiting area of Heysham Port warning passengers of the lengthy sentences for bringing drugs to the island, but "notwithstanding that" they imported cocaine.