Jersey businessman sentenced for importing more than 5,500 Class A pills

Thursday, 31 July 2025 16:03

A man has been arrested after more than 5,500 ecstasy and psychedelic pills were discovered in a parcel from Germany, with a street value of £167,000.

A man has been sentenced to six years in prison by Jersey's Royal Court for importing Class A drugs in 2023.

Michael Veloso was arrested in April 2023, after a parcel was sent from Germany to his business address in St Saviour.

Jersey Customs & Immigration Service Officers found more than 5,500 tablets in the package.

There were 4,628 MDMA or Ecstasy tablets and 925 2C-B tablets, a synthetic drug with similar effects to MDMA but that causes hallucinations.

The street value of the combined amount is around £167,000.

Veloso initially denied any involvement or knowledge of the importation, later admitting it.

JCIS Senior Manager Luke Goddard says this is a very large seizure of Class A drugs by anyone’s standard and had the potential to cause serious harm to users.

"Diligent work by JCIS Border Officers and their meticulous investigation has resulted in the successful prosecution of the intended recipient who otherwise would have profited from their drug trafficking activity.

"This seizure demonstrates the ongoing efforts by JCIS to seize dangerous drugs at the border, convict those responsible and disrupt the syndicates trying to profit from drug trafficking."