03 February 2022
Two men have been sentenced for importing drugs to Jersey via the postal system.
Graham Benson-Dias, aged 33 from York, and Callum Hunt, aged 28 from Luton, were sentenced to a total of 12.5 years at the Royal Court, today (3 February 2022). Benson-Dias received six and a half years imprisonment, with Hunt receiving six years.
A package containing 1002 MDMA tablets was seized by officers from Jersey’s Customs and Immigration Service (JCIS) in October 2018, as part of routine enquiries. The tablets were removed and the package was returned to the postal system.
Covert enquiries by JCIS officers subsequently saw Benson-Dias, who was employed by Jersey Post, deliver the package to Hunt. The package was not addressed to him.
The pair were arrested by officers, and subsequent searches of their properties found 22 bars of cannabis resin in Hunt’s home address, and 28g of MDMA in Benson-Dias’.
Both were bailed while enquiries continued, and left the island. Arrest warrants were issued and they were both subsequently arrested in separate areas in the UK, and returned to Jersey, where they were remanded into custody.
Rhiannon Small, Senior Manager at JCIS, said: “This sentencing concludes a lengthy investigation, during which JCIS have worked closely with law enforcement colleagues overseas to ensure that both were returned to the island to face charges.
“The importation of commercial quantities of controlled drugs through the postal system remains a focus for us, and we continue to work closely with Jersey Post to combat this.”
If anyone has any information they can get in touch, in confidence, on 0800 735 5555.
gov.je