More than £154,000 in suspected criminal cash and over £880,000 in drugs have been seized at the island’s ports since July 2024.
The joint operations by Police and Customs at the Airport and Sea Terminal have uncovered concealed drugs and cash in vehicles, parcels, and freight through a combination of intelligence-led searches and random stops.
Most drug seizures involved cannabis or cocaine, with some steroids and prescription medications.
Individual seizures ranged from £100 to £220,000. Cash was confiscated where individuals failed to declare it, could not account for its origin, or where unlawful conduct was suspected.
Ongoing
The seizures have led to prosecutions, financial penalties, and civil forfeiture actions, with some cases still ongoing.
Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Jane Poole-Wilson MHK, said: “These seizures, totalling over £1 million, send a clear message: the Isle of Man is not a soft target for organised crime.
Chief Constable Russ Foster added: ‘These results show how effective the joint working between Constabulary and Customs is in making the Isle of Man a hostile environment for organised crime.
“By seizing drugs and the proceeds of crime in this way we are striking at the heart of these illicit criminal enterprises – and jointly with other law enforcement partners we will continue to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups who are blighting our Island and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Most seizures were made under the updated Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) or Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA).
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