A man described by police as potentially the island’s “most prolific drug dealer,” has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for various drug offences.
Detective Inspector Jamie Tomlinson of the Serious & Organised Crime Unit said the sentence handed down to Jamie Mark Smith, who he said was the head of an established organised crime group represented a “major success for the island”.
“I do not exaggerate when I say that he is possibly the most prolific drug dealer the island has seen,” said Tomlinson following the sentencing at the Isle of Man Courts of Justice.
Smith, a “career drug dealer” who began offending in his late teens, continued his trade immediately after a previous prison release.
“We know this because he said it himself,” DI Tomlinson said.
Operation Vineyard targeted Smith’s group, which imported Class A and B drugs on a “frequent and large scale”.
DI Tomlinson said Smith “orchestrated criminal activity from a distance” using associates, including Merseyside contacts and currently imprisoned accomplice Liam Dunne.
“The island is a safer place with him behind bars for a significant period,” Tomlinson added.