11 December 2023
Two men have been sentenced in the Royal Court today in relation to the importation of Class A drugs. These were two separate and unrelated instances.
On 18 March 2023, Jeffrey Witsey, a 60-year-old male from London, arrived in Jersey in a vehicle on a ferry from the UK.
Following a positive indication from a Jersey Customs & Immigration Service (JCIS) drugs detector dog, an in-depth examination of the vehicle revealed 500g of cocaine and 8,600 MDMA (ecstasy) tablets concealed within the spare wheel.
Witsey initially denied any knowledge of the drugs and could provide no explanation as to how they had ended up in his vehicle.
This was a very large seizure for the Island, with a street value of over £350,000. The high purity of the cocaine (92%) was of particular concern.
Witsey was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months imprisonment.
On 27 July 2023, Sean Aboh, a 23-year-old man from London, was stopped after arriving in the Island on a flight from Gatwick.
Aboh was vague in response to questions and traces of drugs were found amongst his belongings.
A subsequent search revealed 205g of heroin and 2g of cocaine in the clothing he was wearing.
The heroin had clearly been prepared to be concealed internally, so Aboh was x-rayed, which determined he had no internal concealments.
The heroin had a street value of £290,000. Today Aboh was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.
JCIS Senior Manager, Luke Goddard said “Our officers continue to show a high level of vigilance at the border and have prevented exceptionally large quantities of dangerous drugs getting to the streets of Jersey, which would have fuelled other related crime. Undoubtedly the disruption caused to the syndicates involved in targeting the Island will be significant and the resulting sentences have shown how the Court has recognised the seriousness of these offences."
gov.je