Police have warned they will track down criminals from the UK and abroad if they are involved in offences affecting the island.

The Isle of Man Constabulary’s warning comes after Liverpool man Liam Dunne was jailed for 12 years after it was found he was heavily involved in bringing drugs to the island.

Dunne was described as one of the leaders of the gang – although not the main figure, who has still not been located – which used the fishing vessel Boy Shayne to bring 15.5kg of cannabis and 100 vapes laced with cannabis into Douglas harbour.

Evidence showed Dunne, 39, was the man who handed over the drugs to Jordan Corkill at Whitehaven on November 17, 2023, before Corkill skippered the boat back to Douglas.

Dunne, 39, was also linked to a package sent to the island containing heroin with a potential street value of almost £70,000.

He was jailed for 12 years after appearing before the Court of General Gaol Delivery recently, having previously admitted being concerned in the production of heroin, cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-laced vapes, as well as participating in a criminal organisation.

Police say Dunne’s conviction follows two major and complex investigations, Operation Vineyard and Operation Bobcat which were conducted simultaneously by the Serious and Organised Crime Unit.

These operations ran over an extended period in 2023 and have resulted in a number of individuals receiving lengthy custodial sentences for offences relating to the importation and supply of controlled drugs.

Detective Inspector Jamie Tomlinson, of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: ‘Liam Dunne played a key role in the Merseyside organised crime group supplying drugs into the island. His early guilty plea reflects the overwhelming evidence gathered against him and the outstanding investigative work by our officers.

‘Should detailed and complex drug investigations lead us to key UK offenders, we will not hesitate to secure arrest warrants, work alongside UK law enforcement partners, and bring those individuals to the island to face justice.

‘It is individuals like Dunne who must be dealt with robustly, otherwise they will continue to exploit our island and profit at the expense of our community.’

In relation to the heroin offence, the court heard that on July 17, 2023, a suspicious package was intercepted by police and found to contain 277g of heroin with a street value of between £34,653 and £69,600.

Investigations found Dunne acted as a ‘conduit’, using a burner phone to contact one of those involved in the island, and an unknown individual in Liverpool.

Dunne was described as a ‘facilitator’ who was ‘high up the ranks’.

In relation to the cannabis offence, the operation to bring in 15.5kg of cannabis worth £300,000 and 100 vapes laced with a cannabis derivative took weeks of planning and involved the Boy Shayne fishing vessel heading to Whitehaven on November 17, 2023 to pick up the drugs.

As it sailed into Battery Pier in Douglas officers from the Serious and Organised Crime Unit were waiting.

Police gathered evidence which showed Dunne travelled from Walton in Liverpool to Whitehaven and he was the one who handed over the drugs to be brought back to the island.

Dunne, of Burlington Street, Liverpool, was arrested on August 17, 2025, after returning from Spain, where he had been living for eight months after absconding.