An organised crime gang that supplied drugs to the Isle of Man and across the north of England has been jailed for a total 220 years.

Involved in the conspiracy was Onchan man Paul Whipp, whose role was to take the delivery of the cannabis consignment being ferried to the island.

Whipp, aged 29, of Maple Avenue, Birch Hill Park, was sentenced to two years, suspended for two years.

Some 22 men, from the top of the chain right down to the couriers on the ground are now behind bars for distributing and supplying heroin, cocaine and cannabis.

Chief Constable Gary Roberts said: ’This is terrific work by our friends in Merseyside Police. It shows to those who query whether more can be done to stop drugs coming to the Isle of Man that great efforts are made in the UK as well as on the island.’

Detectives seized a total of 1.5kg of heroin, 2.5kg of cocaine and 53kg of cannabis with an estimated total street value of £453,000.

One of the cocaine and heroin seizures followed the stop check of a vehicle in Fazakerley where officers recovered a quarter of a kilo of cocaine and one kilo of heroin with a combined street value of between £66,000 and £122,000.

At the end of the trial, Judge Aubrey commended the detectives for the thorough investigation they carried out.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Reardon said: ’I am delighted to say that 22 are now serving a total of 223 years in prison for their part in a conspiracy to supply drugs in Merseyside, Lancashire, Cumbria, Teesside and the Isle of Man.

’And in total this operation has seen 26 men sentenced to 243 in prison.

’Among those sentenced this week were four people from Lancashire, two people from Cumbria, three from Teesside and one from the Isle of Man, who were buying the drugs from the Merseyside-based organised crime gang.

’Organised crime groups like this, who deal in the wholesale supply and distribution of controlled drugs, don’t care about the impact that supply of drugs has in our communities and the associated misery and acquisitive crime that it brings to our streets.

’We will continue to proactively tackle criminal gangs who think nothing of flooding the streets with dangerous drugs in order to profit from other people’s misery.’

Ringleader of the gang was Ian Spackman, aged 37, of Rosslyn Avenue, Maghull, who was described as a professional, well-organised and sophisticated criminal. He lived and affluent lifestyles out of the reach of most hardworking members of the public, with lengthy holidays over Christmas and New year in Dubai and Thailand.

He rented a flat in Malaga on an 11,000 Euros lease and drove a BMW X5. He was sentenced to 17 years four months in jail.

James Gannon, 35, of Sunbury Road, Liverpool, who co-ordinated and conducted the business on an almost constant basis, was sentenced to 22 years.

The third man in charge was Tom Collins, aged 34, of Higher Lane, Fazakerley, who enjoyed foreign travel to New York, Amsterdam and Qatar. He was detained in Spain on a European arrest warrant and was sentenced to 16 years behind bars.

During raids on the homes of the gang members, police found designer clothes, jewellery and watches, sporting memorabilia and high value cars bought by money made from the importation, distribution and supply of Class A and B drugs.

Some £250,000 in cash was also seized.

The gang set up a fake plumbing company to consignments of cannabis smuggled into the UK from Barcelona in vans laden with toilets and cat litter.

A lucrative arm of the gang’s operation was the supply of cannabis to the Isle of Man where it has higher street value than in the UK.

It was smuggled in special compartments built into the floor of a van.

Undercover police officers covertly filmed Paul Whipp and two other drug smugglers in May 2016 as the met on Liverpool’s Albert Dock - outside a bar called the Smuggler’s Cove.

An 18-month investigation into the organised crime group culminated in March 2017 with police raiding the homes of its most significant members.