Steps are being taken to prevent criminals moving illicit goods and cash around by private aircraft.

Details were given by Home Affairs and Justice Minister Jane Poole-Wilson on the second day of last week’s Government Conference.

She told those gathered at the Comis Hotel: ‘While over the last year we have focused more at our sea port and domestic airlines, we recognise there is scope to do more regarding private aviation.

‘Customs are looking at introducing UK systems regarding registration of general aviation and tracking of movements.

‘Similarly with our territorial waters that has not been so much of a focus of priority, but we are still able to respond to matters in that space on an intelligence-led basis.’

Mrs Poole-Wilson announced in the same presentation on ‘Securing our Island’ that talks were under way about introducing a requirement for ferry passengers to carry identification.

Interviewed about the plans for the electronic registration of private aircraft, she told Isle of Man Today: ‘If you are going to have a holistic and effective ‘Securing our Island’ approach, you have to be alive to the fact that there are different ways in which an island like ours could see criminals trying to move illicit goods or cash around.

‘It's all part of one strategy. It’s best use of resource with general aviation tying in with existing systems in the UK that require electronic registration of movement of aircraft, as well as being able to tap into tracking systems, because then you can adopt an intelligence-led approach.’

Asked if there was any evidence of criminals using private aircrafts, she replied: ‘It's very difficult for me to talk about intelligence information, but where we do have intelligence, people will go and act.

‘We're trying to make sure we've got a more systematic approach to knowing what's going on. The intelligence will still play an important part of that.’