A Jersey man has been sent behind bars after customs officers intercepted a parcel containing heroin worth up to £13,500 before it could reach his hands.
The Royal Court heard that 37-year-old Luis Nunes was arrested following a covert operation by the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service (JCIS) after officers intercepted a suspicious letter packet at Jersey Post headquarters on 7 May.
30g vacuum-packed
Inside, officers discovered 30 grams of vacuum-packed heroin.
The following day, JCIS carried out a controlled operation, replacing the drugs with a substitute parcel.
Nunes was arrested after taking delivery of the package at a St Helier address.
Investigators established that the parcel had been sent to one of Nunes’ former addresses.
“This amount had the potential to be distributed widely”
The 30g haul had an estimated maximum street value of £13,500.
Following Nunes’ sentencing to five years’ imprisonment in the Royal Court this morning, Senior JCIS manager Luke Goddard said the quantity seized had the potential to reach a significant number of users.
“A ‘deal’ of heroin can be sold as one tenth of a gram, so whilst 30 grams may seem to be a relatively small volume, this amount had the potential to be distributed widely,” he said.
“JCIS continues to prioritise seizing harmful Class A drugs and prosecute those responsible for importing them.”
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CAN YOU HELP?
Anyone with information about drug smuggling can contact JCIS anonymously on 0800 735 5555.
