Man jailed over £232k worth of cannabis stashed in wheels

John Houghton pleaded guilty to being involved in importing cannabis

A man who agreed to have cannabis with an estimated street value of £232,000 to be shipped to his work hidden in wheels has been jailed.

John Houghton, of Peel Road in Douglas, agreed to accept the items in exchange for £1,000, which he planned to spend on fixing rust patches on his car.

A search by police dogs of the haulage firm's premises on 1 June revealed the stashed drugs.

Houghton was sentenced to three years and ten months.

Douglas Courthouse heard the 55-year-old had got permission from his boss at Trade Distribution in Douglas to have the wheels shipped to the firm on 24 May.

'Foolish'

Police dogs uncovered the drugs hidden in four wheels, which were shrink-wrapped and addressed to Houghton.

After being arrested, he told police he knew there would be drugs in the shipment but had no knowledge of what they were or their value.

He pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of cannabis to the island.

Deemster Graeme Cook said it was an "appalling and disgusting offence" and Houghton had been "foolish" to agree to accept the shipment without knowing what was in it.

He said the sentence could have been much higher if it had been Class A drugs, adding: "You need to learn your lesson… and not do this again."