Merseyside gangs who prey on the vulnerable are responsible for the majority of serious crime on the Isle of Man.
Isle of Man Chief Constable Gary Roberts has said the main organised crime threat to the island came from gangs based on Merseyside. Mr Roberts also said drug gangs from the Merseyside area sought to find 'weaknesses' in the methods used by police.
Mr Robert's annual report has revealed how drug gangs from Merseyside have 'befriended' the young and vulnerable to persuade them to accept packages of drugs. The report reveals how the gangs use 'threats and violence' to control the young and vulnerable.
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Mr Robert describes how the young people who are targeted by the drug gangs often become involved in a 'sleazy criminality.' The report reads: "We have also increasingly encountered young people, who are being exploited by criminals from here and from Merseyside.
"They are encouraged, cajoled or threatened to help distribute drugs and, when they do, they become involved in sleazy criminality. A lot of work is underway with various partner agencies to try to stop young people from becoming involved in these activities."
Merseyside Police and the North West Regional Crime Unit have worked with the Isle of Man police to target the gangs running drugs on the island. The operation, codenamed Jetstream, has resulted in the recovery of around 40 kilos of cocaine and £120,000 of cash.
Mr Roberts also described how police activity that disrupts a drug gang can lead to 'drug debts and violence.' He also said removing one drug gang often results in a rival crime group taking their place.
The report reads: "The success of the police in seizing drugs or cash and then trying to dismantle a local network of suppliers, usually leads to debt, which in turn leads to violence. Another network then establishes itself and the whole sorry affair begins again."
Mr Roberts said the drug market on the Isle of Man was worth several million pounds a year. His report explains Merseyside based dealers used customised vehicles to smuggle drugs onto the island.
However, restrictions introduced during lockdown forced dealers to find new methods. Mr Roberts said that criminals began using the postal system and fishing boats to smuggle drugs onto the island.
Over recent years the courts have heard how criminals from Merseyside have plotted to smuggle drugs onto the Isle of Man. In 2018 CCTV footage was released by police of James Gannon, Paul Hornby and Paul Whipp discussing a drug deal in the Albert Dock area.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how the men were involved in a plot to flood the Isle of Man with cannabis. Whipp planned to take the drugs over on a modified van with secret compartments.
Gannon, 35 of Sunbury Road, Anfield, was jailed for 22 years. Hornby, 40 of Pemberton Road in Old Swan, was jailed for 13 years and four months. Whipp, 29, of Maple Avenue in Birch Hill, Isle of Man, was given a two year suspended sentence for his part in the conspiracy.
Mr Roberts spoke to the ECHO on Friday when he made particular reference to the threat posed by Merseyside based gangs.
He said: "The Isle of Man has an enviable quality of life and a strong economy, which make it an attractive place for organised criminal groups, who seek to exploit the island by supplying controlled drugs.
"They do this by exploiting vulnerable people, by using threats and violence, and to find weaknesses in approach of the police. Almost all of these threats come from the Merseyside area.
"In recent years strong collaborative work involving the Isle of Man Constabulary, Merseyside Police and the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit has made a real difference, with a host of people receiving lengthy prison sentences for drug trafficking and money laundering offences.
"That work continues. It is important to note that prison sentences for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs are considerably higher in the Isle of Man than in the United Kingdom."
