The Chief Constable says the island remains a highly profitable market for organised crime groups, with illegal drugs fetching far higher prices than in the UK.
In a committee hearing, Russ Foster told politicians that criminals can sell substances for three times their value compared to UK cities.
“We know that they get three times the price of their cocaine, their heroin, their cannabis, on the streets of the Isle of Man than they do in the streets of Merseyside,” he said.
This financial incentive is a key driver of serious crime on the island, contributing to violence and a burgeoning prison population.
The Chief Constable explained that enforcement efforts, while having a “significant impact”, must be relentless to make the island a more hostile environment for dealers.
He also directly linked drug debt to serious violence, saying: “When we take somebody’s drugs, when we take somebody’s cash, somebody’s in debt, as a consequence of our interaction.”
This has included several kidnappings on the island in recent years, two of which were not reported to police.