It was a huge double operation by Isle of Man Constabulary which began with a suspicious vehicle at Douglas ferry terminal.

It was on June 6 2022, during the very busy TT period, that a male drove a BMW onto the evening Steam Packet Company sailing from Liverpool to the Isle of Man.

Officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit stopped the vehicle in Douglas. A search of the car found 20 packages of cannabis weighing 3,920.95 grams which were located behind the rear interior panels of the vehicle.

The search also found a quantity of white powder, which was later discovered to be 999.56 grams of cocaine. When sold, the cannabis would have an estimated street value of over £78,000 and the cocaine would have an estimated street value of between £100,000 and £142,000.

This driver was initially arrested and during interview explained that he was an independent vehicle recovery agent and had been asked to take the vehicle to an address in Douglas.

Subsequent investigations led Officers to James Spotswood who, at that time, was within Walton Prison serving a sentence for other offences committed on the Isle of Man.

Police launched Operation Trident to investigate a drug importation and Operation Aphrodite to look into money laundering.

Those operations have now concluded with the sentencing of Leroy McHarrie, Mohammed Hoosen, Mark Lucas and Debbie Kidger-Preston, were sentenced at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Friday.

McHarrie, one of the main players in both the drug production and money laundering, was handed one of the longest sentences imposed by Manx courts when he was sentenced to a total of 21 years nine months in jail.

Operation Trident involved a number of individuals, namely Spotswood, McHarrie, Matthew Woods, Darryl Thomas, Kurt Hughes and Daniel Moody who have now all been convicted and sentenced.

Prior to arriving on the island, the BMW had been collected from an MOT and Fast Fit Centre owned by Hughes in Merseyside. He was subsequently forensically linked to the cannabis and cocaine packages found within the vehicle.

Merseyside-based Moody was also forensically linked to the seized drugs while Thomas was found to have assisted in the movements of the BMW in the UK.

Despite Spotswood holed up in a UK prison, he continued to produce Class A and B drugs into the Isle of Man, utilising McHarrie and Woods as the local link to his pre-existing criminal network on Merseyside.

McHarrie was convicted in relation to the drugs found and also two other drug importations.

In September 2022 he was involved in posting 989 grams of cannabis to the island while he lived in Manchester. The following month, in October 2022, he was captured on CCTV, again in Manchester, posting 159 grams of cocaine to the island.

He has also been convicted of a significant money laundering scheme unearthed following Operation Aphrodite, along with a number of other local individuals. In total, McHarrie was jailed for 22 years nine months. Spotswood was handed a 15-year prison term.

Detective Inspector Jamie Tomlinson of the Serious & Organised Crime Unit said: ‘Those involved in this criminality sent this vehicle packed with drugs during the busy TT period when policing was stretched to the limit, probably in the hope that it would get in undetected.

‘Following this significant seizure, officers worked tirelessly in order to track down those involved. McHarrie, in particular, committed his drug activity with impunity.’

DI Tomlinson says the cases highlight the worrying link between organised crime in the northwest of England and the island.

‘This Operation again highlights the illegal drug links the island has to criminals in the northwest area, particularly Merseyside,’ he explained.

‘Our message is clear to those involved with illegal drug activity in any shape or form here on the island, or to anyone in the UK who is prepared to assist in sending drugs here that we will identify you and then we will come for you. You can expect significant custodial sentences here on island as can be seen in this case’

‘The work being undertaken by the Constabulary and our partner agencies at the Ports is making it even more difficult for criminals to bring their illegal commodities into our island.

‘I would like to give the highest praise for the Officers in this case and the Prosecution team who relentlessly pursued these offenders.’

Operation Aphrodite was run by the Isle of Man Constabulary’s Economic Crime Unit which identified a number of suspects involved in the laundering of the funds generated by the sale of the imported drugs - believed to have been in the region of £1.3m.

McHarrie and his criminal associates Hoosen, Lucas and Kidger-Preston Debbie used various means and numerous bank accounts to hide and transfer the funds to a wider criminal network within the UK.

Following extensive and time-consuming investigation, the Economic crime unit identified and traced the bank accounts back to the suspects.

Inspector Andy Lee of the Economic Crime Unit said: ‘Criminals will always look to hide the funds generated by their criminal activities.

‘Anyone involved, in any way whatsoever in the movement, retention, hiding or dissipation of any funds linked to criminality can expect to be subject to arrest and prosecution.

‘I hope the sentencing underlines the commitment from the Isle of Man Constabulary to trace and identify those that are involved in such money laundering enterprises.’