A 30-year-old man was detained at a property in St Helier, while a 33-year-old was arrested at a home in St Lawrence. Plants and growing equipment were also seized.
Both men were arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and possessing the class B drug with intent to supply. The younger man was later released on police bail. The 33-year-old was last night still in police custody.
The arrests were made despite Operation Shark, which was launched earlier this year to crack down on dealers, being temporarily scaled down during the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Inspector Mark Hafey said: ‘We reduced our proactive drug enforcement activity, Operation Shark, while we focused on supporting the Island through the Covid crisis.
‘However, we never stopped building the intelligence picture to allow us to target importers and suppliers when the time was right.’
He added: ‘As has been highlighted by the Jersey Customs and Immigration Service, those involved in the drugs trade have adapted their methods to try and maintain supply in a period when importation has been incredibly difficult for them. This includes home-growing cannabis.
‘We are alive to this and are now increasing the focus on tackling
the enduring threat posed to the Island, especially our most vulnerable residents, by the illegal drugs trade.’
