Two men have admitted being involved in laundering thousands of pounds worth of criminal cash.

Fletcher Nelson, from Union Mills, and Karl Ronald Benson, from Douglas, pleaded guilty to acquiring and transferring credit balances via their bank accounts.

Nelson’s charges were said to involve £36,820 going into an account and £36,210 being transferred out.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

His offences were committed between April 2022 and March 2024.

Benson’s offences relate to £49,396 entering his account and £54,006 being transferred out and were committed between September 2022 and June 2023.

He had previously also been charged with three other money laundering offences, which he had entered a ‘no plea’ response to, but they have been withdrawn by the prosecution.

Both men were committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentencing.

They appeared before magistrates recently, with prosecuting advocate Barry Swain telling the court that the transactions had been discovered by an Economic Crime Unit financial investigation.

Mr Swain submitted that the case was too serious for summary court and that it should be sent to the higher court for sentencing.

Twenty-four-year-old Nelson, who lives at Snugborough Avenue, was represented in court by advocate David Reynolds, while Benson, who is 37 and lives at Queen’s Promenade, was represented by Peter Taylor.

Both advocates agreed that sentencing should take place at the Court of General Gaol Delivery, and asked for a probation report to be prepared beforehand.

Nelson and Benson will first appear at the higher court on April 25.

Bail continues for both defendants in the sum of £500, with conditions for them to reside at their home addresses, not to leave the island without court consent, and to contact probation and co-operate in the preparation of the report.