91Èȱ¬

A man involved in the importation of £68,446 worth of cannabis to the Isle of Man has been jailed.

Gary Ross, 36, was caught after customs staff intercepted a parcel from the US at a sorting office found to contain 3.96lb (1.8kg) of cannabis, with a street value of £37,268.

A dummy package was then delivered by an undercover officer to Ross and another person in Douglas, before they were both arrested.

Ross, of Woodbourne Road, Douglas, was jailed for three years and 10 months after pleading guilty to two charges of producing the drug, as well as possession and attempting to possess and supply the drug.

Customs staff intercepted the package on 5 May and a search of Ross's home after his arrest uncovered a further 0.05oz (6.1g) of cannabis, which the court heard he claimed was for personal use.

The hearing was told about a second incident on 2 October in Laxey, in which Ross's fingerprints were found on more packages containing the drug, totalling £31,178, occurring while he was on police bail.

When questioned, he told officers he had gone to the address to buy cannabis and had been asked to help wrap the parcels.

Ross's initial not guilty plea was rejected, leading to a fresh hearing in which Deemster Graeme Cook rejected his version of events, telling him he "didn't believe a word" he was saying.

Ross's defence advocate said he was at the "lower end" of the drug supply chain and was "not profiting from it in any great way".

Sentencing him, Deemster Cook said the fact that the second importation charge happened while Ross was on police bail meant he would receive consecutive sentences.

The Deemster said Ross had lost credit by changing his plea, saying "if defendants want maximum credit they need to plead guilty at the first opportunity".

The court also ordered that £500 of the £1,270 seized from Ross when he was arrested should be given to Victim Support.

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