Drugs trade profits higher in Jersey

Monday 16th November 2009, 3:00PM GMT.

Steve Le Marquand, director of law enforcement at Customs and Immigration

DRUGS are being sold in Jersey for 20 times more than their value in mainland Europe – making the Island one of the most profitable targets for drug dealers in the world.

But recent seizures reveal that drug smugglers are putting addicts’ lives at risk by reducing the purity of drugs in order to maximise profits.

The purity of some recent heroin and cocaine seizures is the lowest ever seen in the Island – in some cases as low as one per cent.

New figures released to the JEP show that a kilo of cannabis can be bought in Jersey for £5,600 compared to £250 in Holland and £1,400 in the UK.

Steve Le Marquand, director of law enforcement at Customs and Immigration, said that drug prices are significantly higher in Jersey mainly because of supply and demand, the fact that drug addicts have a higher disposable income and drug-trafficking penalties are high.

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