Two men involved in taking drugs money out of the island as part of an organised crime gang have been jailed.

Mark Jones and Reece Coley, both from Manchester, played roles in a UK-based gang that brought drugs, including cocaine and ketamine, to the Isle of Man before returning the criminal proceeds to England.

Jones, 47, of Dutton Street, visited the island four times between September and December 2024 where he was instructed to collect drug money and return it by ferry.

Coley, 32, of Keyhaven Walk, would collect the money from the couriers and hand it to those above him in the chain.

The two men previously admitted conspiring to remove criminal property and appeared at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on Friday for sentence.

Roger Kane, prosecuting, told the court that Jones was stopped for a routine search at the ferry terminal in Douglas on November 14, 2024.

His BMW X3 was searched and officers found £14,860 in cash in the boot. Jones claimed it was savings, but he was arrested.

Two mobile phones seized from him revealed evidence of the organised gang's drug trafficking operation.

The investigation led to the arrest of Scott Goulden, whose car was stopped after arriving from Heysham on February 13, 2025. Officers recovered cocaine and ketamine worth more than £85,000. Goulden was later jailed for a total of nine years.

The court heard Goulden had taken criminal cash back to the UK, where it was handed to Coley before being passed to the gang's organiser, Kane Jones. This happened on three occasions between September and December 2024.

Thomas Lindop also acted as a courier, transporting drugs to the island and returning criminal cash to the UK.

Kane Jones was jailed for 10 years, while Lindop received an eight-year sentence.

Mark Jones was directed by Kane Jones to collect cash from contacts on the island and was involved in four trips, removing more than £40,000 in criminal proceeds.

Police also identified Coley through the mobile phones seized from Jones. He was referred to as 'IoM money drop'.

In a basis of plea, Coley admitted involvement in three collections totalling about £25,000.

In mitigation, advocate James Peterson said Jones had no previous convictions and had been exploited after financial difficulties caused by health problems.

Advocate Paul Glover said Coley, who also had no relevant previous convictions, suffered from mental health issues and urged Deemster Graeme Cook to suspend any prison sentence.

Deemster Cook said: 'This island is becoming a very convenient place for organised crime from England selling drugs across and taking money back. It causes misery for many people.'

Jones was jailed for 28 months, while Coley received a 23-month prison sentence. Both men will be excluded from the island for five years after their release.