Police operation seizes large amount of drugs and cash

Thu, 02 Feb 2023

A policing operation by the Island's force has seen a large amount of drugs and money seized.

Operation Artemis targeted organised criminal groups based in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man which supplied large amounts of cannabis.

As a result of the operation, cannabis weighing over 54kilos with a street value of over £1million was seized, along with almost a quarter of million pounds in cash destined for organised criminal groups in Merseyside. Five motor-vehicles used by drug traffickers were also seized.

The operation involved the arrest of twenty-two people and the conviction of fourteen individuals, who between them received a total of thirty-nine years and four months in prison.

The operation has brought significant disruption to organised criminal groups and one long-standing group has been dismantled.

The officer who led the investigation, Detective Inspector Jamie Tomlinson said: “The successful outcome of the operation was a direct consequence of the dedication, skill and hard work of a small group of detectives. They confronted determined and well-resourced criminals and used a wide range of enforcement techniques to bring them to justice. I am proud of what we have achieved. Our efforts will continue and grow.”

The Chief Constable, Gary Roberts QPM, said: “Organised criminal groups, based both here and in Merseyside, pose a real threat to our way of life. There is nothing romantic or beneficial to the community in the way that these ruthless groups go about their activity. They seek to exploit vulnerable people and they care nothing about the impact of what they do. This is just one operation of several that we have run in recent months, but its success shows our determination to keep this island safe.” 

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