A self-styled ‘king’ of a cross-border drugs gang has become the first in the island to be jailed under organised crime legislation.

Anthony Wiseman, 25, was jailed for 28 months after admitting an offence under the Organised and International Crime Act 2010.

Video clips played on a screen in the Court of General Gaol Delivery showed Wiseman fooling around with wads of drugs money, holding a parcel which the Crown said was highly likely to contain controlled drugs, and talking about ‘smashing someone’s gaff up’.

A note found on him referred to his being one of the ‘kings’ of the crime gang.

Prosecutor James Robinson told the court: ‘This is the first time this offence has been sentenced in the Isle of Man and to some extent we are in uncharted territory.’

He explained that the defendant was arrested as a result of Operation Achilles, a joint Isle of Man and North West police investigation into a cross-border organised crime gang.

No fewer than 13 members of the same gang have been convicted for drug trafficking and money laundering as a result of Achilles.

He played a pivotal role in the importation of controlled drugs and their onward distribution for a number of years, even running the network from his cell while on remand at Jurby prison. Molyneux used systematic violence and intimidation to gather the proceeds of the gang’s activities.

His seized mobile phone provided vital evidence that he had been involved in drug supply, money laundering and enforcement-based violence, organising drugs shipments and exploiting vulnerable people,

It also showed he had contacted more than one number associated with Anthony Wiseman, including a message thread which Mr Robinson said could only be sensibly interpreted as being about the two of them making significant money from drugs.

The videos and images from Molyneux’s phone showed the pair of them at an address with Wiseman having a significant amount of money both in an envelope and a large plastic bag.

In one clip the defendant states he had been working for Molyneux since his prison release and in another he is seen holding a parcel likely to contain drugs.

A note found on Wiseman when he left prison describes himself and Molyneux as ‘the kings’ and contains references to ‘an extra five bags if on tick’.

The defendant was charged in May 2022 but absconded later than month and disappeared for 15 months until in October last year he was arrested by police across for an unrelated matter and brought back to the island.

Wiseman, of the Newtown estate in Santon, admitted the offence under the 2010 Act of knowing, or being reckless as to whether his participation contributed, or may contribute, to the commission of a serious offence.

Mr Robinson said the defendant was not charged with any underlying predicate offence such as drug dealing or money laundering.

David Reynolds, defending, said: ‘This is clearly a very serious offence.’

He said his client was embarrassed by what he had done and his children, and specifically his daughter’s health problems, had given him a new outlook.

He had been employed as a landscape gardener and while he was the in UK he had realised cannabis was not helping him with his mental health.

Sentencing him, Deemster Graeme Cook said: ‘People involved in organised crime do so at their peril.

‘This island over the last few years has become soaked with the importation of all kinds of drugs, mainly cannabis but also cocaine and unfortunately heroin and ecstasy.’

Wiseman will serve half his 28 month sentence in custody and then be released on licence.