Sentences of four to six years for drug gang

The five men, aged between 19 and 21 and all from London, have now started prison or juvenile detention sentences ranging from four to six years.

The Royal Court heard that Edmilton de Jesus, 20, Brendan Jones, 21, and Jessie Cheverall, 19, arrived on a ferry in November and told Border Agency officers they were on the island for a graduation ceremony. But they all said it was someone else's graduation.

They were searched after a bag search revealed drug links.

De Jesus had 478 MDMA tablets in his underwear. Jones had 481 MDMA pills and 393 LSD pills on him. Cheverall was not transporting drugs, but all were arrested.

When GBA officers studied CCTV footage around the port, they spotted Cristiano Carvalho, 19, who lived on the island at the time, and Courtney Casey, 20, around the terminal, waiting for arrival Of the boat.

Both had arrived on the island by ferry four days earlier but were not arrested.

They monitored the ferry dock from the roof of the passenger terminal and entered and exited the terminal. But they left in a hurry when GBA agents arrived accompanied by sniffer dogs.

Both were arrested at Guernsey Airport the next day, where they were booked on a flight to London. Casey was carrying £3,000 in cash while Carvalho had £820.

Passing sentence, Lieutenant Bailiff Russell Finch said that although each defendant had played different roles, he would pass sentence on the basis that the importation was a single enterprise.

The court expressed sympathy for those whose lives have been destroyed by the use of hard drugs and noted the misery they have caused in the community by those who commit crimes in order to obtain money to feed their addiction.

Sentences

All pleaded guilty to two counts of importation, and the men admitted failing to provide PINs on their phones.

Jones was jailed for five years for importing MDMA and a concurrent four years for LSD.

A consecutive year was added for failure to provide the PIN, resulting in a total sentence of six years.

Carvalho and de Jesus were sentenced to the same terms of juvenile detention.

Casey and Cheverall will serve a four-year custodial sentence for the importation of MDMA, with a concurrent three years for the LSD.