28 November 2024
Five men have been sentenced to 36 years and six months, plus 456 hours of community service, by Jersey's Royal Court today, for the parts they played in a number of drugs importations into Jersey. The conviction and dismantling of this syndicate follow a lengthy, in-depth investigation by Jersey Customs & Immigration Service (JCIS), titled Operation Elf, which saw £270,000 of drugs seized.
The defendants sentenced today were:
- Ibrahim ROSLAN, born 25 December 1988, Liverpool – 9 years and six months imprisonment.
- Aaron NURSAW, born 24 January 1991, Wirral – 9 years imprisonment.
- Kyle Samuel DAWSON, born 08 May 1996, Jersey – 8 years and six months imprisonment
- Jordan BARNETT-ROBERTS, born 22 August 2001, Jersey – 456 hours community service, equivalent to 3 years imprisonment.
- Michael QUINN, born 30 August 2001, Jersey - 9 years and 6 months [8 years 11 months for drugs importation offences and 7 months consecutive for cyber-crime offence]
On 30 June 2022, JCIS officers intercepted a postal packet from Liverpool addressed to defendant, Jordan BARNETT-ROBERTS at The Windmill in St Mary. This parcel contained 185 grams of cocaine.
The parcel was substituted before BARNETT-ROBERTS drove to an address in St Lawrence, where he gave it to Ibrahim ROSLAN.
ROSLAN took the parcel into the property, accompanied by Kyle Samuel DAWSON.
At this point Officers entered the property, by which time ROSLAN and DAWSON were in the upstairs bedroom. ROSLAN went onto the balcony and attempted to hide the substitute drugs in the gutter of the house before jumping off the balcony to try and avoid arrest. He was later found hiding in a nearby bush. ROSLAN, DAWSON and BARNETT-ROBERTS were arrested.
After their initial interviews all four men were released whilst in-depth investigations continued into their phones, finances and into any forensic links to the importation.
On 25 July 2023, JCIS Officers intercepted a postal packet addressed to St Helier address, which contained 54 grams of cocaine and 2,500 ecstasy tablets. This resulted in the arrest of the occupant, Michael QUINN. Phone and forensic evidence linked him to the packing for the drugs and he was subsequently charged.
On 26 September 2023, JCIS Officers intercepted a postal packet, which was found to contain 355 ecstasy tablets. Later analysis of ROSLAN's phone linked him to this importation.
On 7 October 2023, JCIS Officers intercepted a further postal packet containing 164 grams of cocaine, concealed within '40th Birthday gift boxes.
On 9 October 2023, ROSLAN was arrested in Liverpool by the Merseyside Police County Lines Investigation Team and passed over to JCIS Officers who escorted him back to Jersey. When Merseyside Police searched ROSLAN's flat they found two champagne glasses engraved with '40th Birthday that fit the gift boxes seized by
JCIS two days beforehand, exactly. Merseyside Police also recovered 2,000 ecstasy tablets from the property. Forensic links were found connecting both ROSLAN and QUINN to the cocaine seized on 7 October 2023.
On 18 October 2023, the Merseyside Police County Lines Investigation Team arrested NURSAW in Liverpool, who was also brought back to Jersey.
ROSLAN, DAWSON, BARNETT-ROBERTS and NURSAW were all charged with the parts they played in the 2022 importations.
In April 2024, ROSLAN and QUINN were charged for their parts in the 2023 importations.
Following a trial in September 2024, DAWSON was found guilty of his part in the importation from June.
Throughout Operation Elf, the investigations conducted by JCIS officers have led to further convictions.
While these were treated as stand-alone cases, the successful prosecutions may not have come about without the Operation Elf investigation.
Starting on 16 April 2022, Janice MAWDSLEY, was arrested by JCIS Officers at the Prince of Wales pub in St Mary. She had just arrived on a flight from Liverpool, with 188 grams of cocaine and 6 grams of ketamine.
When she was arrested, a photo of Ibrahim ROSLAN was found on her phone and ROSLAN's vehicle was seen by JCIS officers driving past. Investigations showed forensic and financial links to both ROSLAN and another defendant, Aaron NURSAW. At the time ROSLAN was resident in Jersey and NURSAW was resident in Liverpool. MAWDSLEY received a 4-year sentence for her part in this importation.
On 11 June 2023, Philip DELDUCA arrived in Jersey on the ferry from Poole and was stopped by JCIS Officers. He admitted to importing 101 grams of cocaine after the consignment was found in the car he was driving. Forensic examination of the cocaine wrappings linked ROSLAN to the importation. DELDUCA has already received a 3-year and 10-month sentence for his part in the importation.
Together with MAWDSLEY and DELDUCA's sentences, the total sentence for all seven offenders is 44 years and two months, plus 456 hours community service, which is equivalent to three years imprisonment.
JCIS Senior Manager Luke Goddard said: “This was a long and complex investigation with large amounts of phone, financial and forensic data, all of which needed close examination and analysis. It incorporated the JCIS Investigation Unit undertaking covert activities as well as the Border Teams at the ports and post office.
“It involved collaborative work with States of Jersey Police Drugs Squad and their High-Tech Crime Unit and the Merseyside Police County Lines Investigation Team.
“The operation has resulted in the conviction of seven individuals, the seizure of over £270,000 worth of drugs, a substantial community service order and sentences totalling more than 44 years imprisonment. This is a significant result that has completely dismantled a drug syndicate targeting Jersey and demonstrates the professionalism of the Officers involved."
Detective Sergeant Carl Lynch from Merseyside Police's County Lines Investigation team said: “Today's sentencing shows the success of working together with other agencies like JCIS to take county lines offenders off our streets. The arrests of Roslan and Nursaw in Liverpool supported the complex investigation and ensured they could no longer cause further harm to our communities.
“We know the devastation that drugs cause and Merseyside Police remains relentless in our pursuit of these criminals and ending their drugs trade. Project Medusa is our daily force response to county lines, and we continue to work collaboratively with a wide range of partners and agencies to disrupt serious organised crime and put criminals behind bars."
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