Three men have received lengthy jail terms totalling almost 37 years for shipping to the Isle of Man a mini-fridge containing almost 1kg of cocaine.

Adrian Larcombe and John Laird were found guilty by a jury following a three-day trial at the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

The two were jointly charged with being concerned in the production of Class A drugs to the island from the UK.

Co-accused Mark Thone had previously pleaded guilty to the joint offence.

Appearing for sentencing on Thursday, Larcombe was jailed for a total of 14 years and six months, Laird for 12 years and six months and Thone for nine years and 10 months.

The court heard that a block of cocaine was shipped to the island in September 2023 in a package containing a mini-fridge.

It was sent to an address in Laxey.

The parcel was intercepted by police and found to contain 994.9 grams of cocaine, valued by police at £99,490.

Prosecutor Hazel Carroon explained that the defendants were the UK side of the production and had been involved in arranging for the cocaine to be sent over to the Isle of Man.

She said Larcombe’s fingerprints were found on the fridge box and the plastic wrapper which surrounded it.

CCTV of the parcel being dropped-off at the courier company’s depot in Skelmersdale was obtained and this showed Thone, 61, of West Bridgford, Nottingham, handing the parcel over at the reception desk.

The Mercedes car driven into the depot was registered to Laird.

Automatic Numberplate Recognition data showed that the vehicle started a journey that day in the area of Larcombe’s home address in Nottingham, then going to a B&M store in the city from where the mini-fridge was purchased, before making the journey up to the depot in Skelmersdale.

When the vehicle was checked-in at the security gate at 14.47pm the name Mark T was given with the company name of Aluminium Processing Limited, the court was told.

Subsequent inquiries revealed that Laird was recorded as a director of the Nottingham-based company.

The defendants were arrested in the UK and taken to the Isle of Man to be interviewed.

Larcombe, 59, of Godfrey Street in Netherfield, Nottingham, initially gave no comment replies but at one point stated ‘it’s nothing to do with me’.

He subsequently provided a prepared statement in which denied having any knowledge of the drugs.

Laird, 37, of Moor Lane, Nottingham, also produced a prepared statement claiming he was not told what was in the parcel, or suspect there were drugs inside.

In February, Laxey woman Rosemary Ellen Burgess, aged 22, was jailed for eight years, and Peter Phillip Sean Nulty, aged 40, from Douglas, was jailed for nine years, for their roles in the same offence.

DCI Chas Maloney said in a statement after the sentences were handed down: ‘The Isle of Man may appear attractive to cross-border organised crime groups seeking to import and supply drugs.

‘However, while the street value of drugs on the island is higher than in the UK, so too are the custodial sentences for those caught.

‘My message is clear and very simple: it really isn’t worth the risk and the substantial penalties. Law enforcement need to be lucky once, whereas those involved, need to be lucky every time.’