Man jailed for a year for involvement in postal drugs plan

Friday 26 January 2024

A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to one year in prison after an envelope addressed to him containing £8,000 worth of drugs was intercepted by police.

Matthew Charles Harris was sentenced to 12 months in prison for drug offences in the Royal Court today.

He pleaded guilty to all seven charges in October 2023. 

On 1 July 2022, Jersey Customs and Immigration Service intercepted an envelope that was headed to an address in Liverpool.

The envelope contained £1,000 in cash, and CCTV enquiries showed that Harris had posted the envelope. 

On 12 July 2022, another envelope was intercepted which was addressed to 'Master Harris' at his home address in Jersey.

This envelope contained a commercial quantity of Subutex tablets – an opioid medication developed for the treatment of opiate addiction – with an approximate street value of £8,000.

Harris was subsequently arrested and his property was searched, where police officers found cannabis and steroids.

His phone was also seized, and texts between Harris and his UK supplier were discovered.

The messages discussed the package that had contained the Subutex tablets as well as the envelope that Harris had attempted to send to Liverpool with the cash in it.

Officers also found other communications relating to the supply of cannabis. 

Following Harris' sentencing today, Detective Sergeant Jim McGranahan – who heads up the Drug Squad – said: “We are committed to removing illegal drugs from Jersey and seeing those responsible for supplying them, put before the courts.

"We continue to work with our partners and other agencies to protect our community from the harm these drugs can cause.

“The Drug Squad are supported both internally and externally by many outside partner agencies and collectively they work hard together to achieve the same goal of keeping the island safe and as drug free as possible.”