Man who tried to smuggle more than £28,000 worth of cocaine into Jersey is jailed

That amount of cocaine is estimated to have a street value of between £17,000 and £28,500 in Jersey. Credit: Jersey Customs and Immigration Service

A man who attempted to import 113.37 grams of cocaine into Jersey has been handed a jail sentence of five years and eight months.

Jake Lee Thompson, who's 25 and from the UK, appeared before Jersey’s Royal Court today (Thursday 9th January).

The street value of the cocaine he was attempting to smuggle into the island is estimated to be between £17,000 and £28,500 in Jersey.

Paul Le Monnier, Senior Manager at Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, said: “This was an unsophisticated attempt to import cocaine to the Island that was thwarted by the vigilance of our officers at the borders.

"The sentence handed out to Thompson demonstrates the hard stance the island takes to drug trafficking.”

Thompson arrived on an EasyJet flight from Manchester on Thursday 17 October 2024 when he was stopped by Customs and Immigration Officers at Jersey Airport.

He was travelling with his girlfriend and told officers they planned to stay in the island for a week.

Thompson was then searched and found to be concealing the cocaine internally.

In court today Thompson pleaded guilty and read out his own letter of remorse.

He said he started using cocaine and prescription drugs following the loss of several family members and friends between 2011 and 2022.

Mr Thompson said he was glad that the package he was carrying didn’t reach its final destination as he didn’t want "innocent souls" to become addicted to the drug like he had become.

His defence team said he has sought health care in prison and Mr Thompson said in court he is now free of the "poison".

Cocaine is a Class A drug in Jersey.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...