TWO Englishmen who smuggled cocaine into Jersey – and said they wanted to become the main suppliers of the drug in the Island – have been jailed.
And the Islander who bought some of the cocaine and sold it on has also been sent to prison.
The Royal Court heard that Shahiukh Syed Gilani (38) and Reece McLaren (29) came to the Island on 13 June last year from the UK with seven grams of cocaine.
Crown Advocate Lauren Taylor, prosecuting, said the small quantity had been “a test run”, with the plan to start bringing in larger quantities in a major, long-term enterprise.
She said they met 64-year-old Islander Terence O’Hagan and sold him the seven gram sample.
Gilani and McLaren also recruited O’Hagan to make contacts and find buyers for future importations of cocaine.
Later that month, Gilani and McLaren returned to Jersey expecting a delivery of 63 grams of cocaine to be sent to their holiday let. The cocaine had a purity level of 72% and an estimated street value of between £9,000 and £14,000.
But the package was intercepted and when they collected it they were immediately arrested, while O’Hagan was arrested later that morning. All three were interviewed at police headquarters.
Advocate Taylor said that Gilani and McLaren answered “no comment” to all questions, but O’Hagan admitted that he took the initial seven grams from the test run and had sold some and taken some.
The defendants all pleaded guilty when they appeared before the Magistrate’s Court on 24 June, but the case was deemed too serious to be dealt with there and was sent up to the Royal Court.
However, the Royal Court also heard that Gilani and McLaren were guilty of attacking another prisoner while on remand, entering the prisoner’s cell and punching him.
The fight spilled out into the corridor of the wing and was captured on CCTV footage which was shown in court.
The victim suffered bruising, cuts and abrasions to his head and face.
Advocate Stephen Wauchope, defending McLaren, said: “He was motivated by desperation. He did not have two pennies to rub together at the time.”
Advocate Mark Boothman, defending Gilani, said: “Mr Gilani was the victim of a sustained period of harassment. His home had been targeted on multiple occasions.”
And Advocate Sarah Dale, defending O’Hagan, pointed that her client had been the earliest to admit his involvement and said he accepted his involvement was “the stupidest decision of his life”.
Sir William Bailhache, presiding, told them: “The court will play its part in protecting Islanders who are being exploited and put at risk for money.”
McLaren was sentenced to six and a half years for the drugs offences and Gilani was sentenced to six years and four months – both of them were given a consecutive six months for the assault on the other prisoner. O’Hagan was handed a four-year custodial sentence.
Jurats Averty, Le Heuzé, Opferman, Berry and Powell were sitting.
The arrests were part of a police surveillance operation codenamed Operation Quaff, with Detective Inspector Christina Maclennan, who leads the Drug Squad, commenting after the sentencing that the “safety of our community is always at the forefront of our minds”.
She added: “We will do our utmost to prosecute anyone who imports or deal drugs in Jersey and bring those responsible before the courts.”
