A senior police officer has warned Merseyside's drug gangs that they face much longer prison tariffs if sentenced on the Isle of Man.
The sentencing guidelines for the importation of cannabis into the Isle of Man were reviewed last month, and now smugglers face much longer custodial sentences.
Criminals smuggling over 30kg of cannabis into the Isle of Man now face prison sentences of between eight and 14 years.
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Previously criminals had to be linked to 60kg of cannabis before facing a sentence of over 10 years on the island.
New sentencing bands based on weight have been introduced, including a starting eight-year tariff for importing more than 30kg of the drug.
Now the Chief Constable of the Isle of Man police force has reminded criminals from Merseyside that they could face prison sentences that are four times longer than they would expect to be handed down at Liverpool Crown Court.
Speaking to the BBC, CC Gary Roberts said: "Those are the people we intend to continue to target."
He added: "Drug supply offences here attract really very big sentences.
"Something that you might get three or four years for in Liverpool, you're likely to get 14 or 15 years for in the Isle of Man."
He added that anyone who brought drugs to the island should expect officers to "meet you and greet you and catch you".
Crime on the Isle of Man rose by 18% over the last year, much of which was attributed to the illegal drug trade.
Many victims of serious assaults on the island had chosen not to cooperate with police, suggesting a possible connection with the drug trade.
CC Roberts also told the BBC that his force had increased its liaison work with police forces in the UK, particularly in the north west.
The Isle of Man has long been a target for Liverpool's criminal fraternity.
In October 2020 the ECHO reported on the case of Alexander McKay, who was caught with 88% pure cocaine up his bottom when getting a ferry to the Isle of Man
McKay attempted to board a ferry to the Isle of Man from Birkenhead on January 15, 2017 using a false name and was detained and searched. After being bailed he spent two years on the run, to the chagrin of the authorities.
McKay, Mollington Avenue, Norris Green, was jailed for two years during a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court.
In 2018 Liverpool Crown Court heard how a powerful drug gang led by Ian Spackman targeted the Isle of Man.
The gang imported massive quantities of cannabis from Spain, which were then smuggled onto the island and sold on the street.
Spackman, of Rosslyn Avenue, Maghull, was jailed for 17 years and four months after a massive police operation.
It later emerged that Spackman was linked to the Fernhill Gang, a notorious crime gang which dates back to the 1970s.
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