A 20-year-old man has admitted being involved in importing nearly £30,000-worth of cannabis to the island in the post.

Joshua Stanley Corrin was arrested after a package was intercepted and found to contain just under a kilo of the class B drug.

He pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a class B drug to the island and will be sentenced at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on July 8.

Prosecuting advocate Hazel Carroon told the court that a postal worker initially attempted to deliver the parcel to an address at Cushag Road in Anagh Coar on August 9 last year.

However, the occupant refused to accept it.

Police were then called to the sorting office after staff deemed the package suspicious.

When it was opened it was found to contain four further individually-wrapped packages.

In total, those packages contained green vegetable matter weighing 997.8 grams, which was identified as cannabis bush, valued by police at £29,934.

Corrin’s mobile phone was seized initially with regards to an unrelated matter.

However, downloads from his phone were linked to the package.

An audio description of how packages were being delivered to the island was also found on the phone.

Various conversations were found relating to drugs and money.

On February 14, Corrin, who lives at Westbourne Drive in Douglas, was arrested and answered ‘no comment’ to questions during a police interview.

Prosecutor Ms Carroon submitted that the case should be committed to the Court of General Gaol Delivery for sentencing.

Defence advocate Deborah Myerscough submitted that the case was borderline as to whether it should go to the higher court and asked for a probation report to be prepared before sentencing.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes declined summary court jurisdiction and committed Corrin to the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

Bail continues with a condition to contact probation and to co-operate in the preparation of the probation report.

Since the start of the pandemic, scores of offenders have appeared before the courts charged with trying to import drugs through the post.