Jersey man sentenced for importing nearly 3,000 ecstasy tablets

A man from Jersey has been jailed for eight years for importing nearly 3,000 ecstasy tablets hidden in a box of sweets sent through the post.

Mark James Maher has been sentenced after Jersey Customs and Immigration Officers (JCIS) intercepted a package containing the drugs.

The postal packet, addressed to a homeless shelter in St Helier, contained a quantity of lose sweets and a bag of 2641 green shield MDMA tablets hidden underneath.

It's estimated these pills had a street value of £80,000. 

                   Mark James Maher,.Credit: Jersey Customs and Immigration Service

Maher was initially arrested on 7 January and denied all knowledge of the importation and contents of the parcel addressed to him. 

The 51-year-old maintained a not guilty plea when tried at the Royal Court on 12 January, but was found guilty and remanded at La Moye Prison. 

The bag of MDMA pills. Credit: Jersey Customs and Immigration Service

Paul Le Monnier from JCIS said: “This was a significant haul of ecstasy tablets, imported through the postal system, and its seizure has prevented these harmful drugs from reaching the streets of Jersey."

Jersey Police say anyone with information on drug smuggling can report it anonymously via 0800 735 5555.