The close borders mentals are planning a take over!

[Alanbellend]

49 minutes ago, Utah 01 said:

You certainly appear to have extensive knowledge of 'the operation'; first-hand knowledge or have you 'read about it somewhere'?

Not really it’s a standard anti money laundering training course fact that people are prepared to lose at least 20% to get clean funds and there is going to be an overall ratio of Manx notes to English notes collected. The Manx notes will be fed back into here to cover Island based costs. 

[Dirty Buggane]

If I was in the trade I would tell them to take a hike, due to the pressures of the job I may need to offski pretty dam quick so this boy wants his wad in sterling.

[trench12]

How many commercial vehicles/trailers are searched?

how many port employees are searched gaining on duty /off duty

how many crew and aircrew are searched inbound

 

many years ago 10 or so Birmingham bases fllybe aircrew were sacked for smuggling cigarettes from jersey, not large amounts ….but 500 fags a go, 2 rotations a day, 5 days a week builds up

how many fishing boats/pleasure craft are subject to inspection inbound/outbound?

when was the last time the coasters into Ramsey were searched ?

 

gonna need a lot of staff…….the more you stop the more you find…..intelligence led will be the key…..but what about the 90 percent or so that you do not have any intelligence on ?

 

[Gladys]

33 minutes ago, trench12 said:

How many commercial vehicles/trailers are searched?

how many port employees are searched gaining on duty /off duty

how many crew and aircrew are searched inbound

 

many years ago 10 or so Birmingham bases fllybe aircrew were sacked for smuggling cigarettes from jersey, not large amounts ….but 500 fags a go, 2 rotations a day, 5 days a week builds up

how many fishing boats/pleasure craft are subject to inspection inbound/outbound?

when was the last time the coasters into Ramsey were searched ?

 

gonna need a lot of staff…….the more you stop the more you find…..intelligence led will be the key…..but what about the 90 percent or so that you do not have any intelligence on ?

 

Good post, but include jet skis. 

[Andy Onchan]

On 9/22/2024 at 9:05 AM, Gladys said:

Possibly searching for cash proceeds of drug deals?  Although you would think it would likely be mostly Manx so not very useful off-island, or at least very noticeable.

It depends on how the visa system works and interacts with the UK entry system, I guess.   If there is widespread abuse, what is the flaw in our system, and the UK system, to allow the abuse?  Not an area I am familiar with, but whoever is coming here, generally, has to get into the UK first.  So, does our visa system allow entry to the UK, ie someone with an IOM visa can automatically get into the UK for onward travel to their final destination, or is it just a system which allows the holder to work here and so only an IOM domestic arrangement? 

It does seem to be an area which needs critical review, not least for the potential for people trafficking.  

Does anyone know if the visa/work permit people on the Island actually hold face-to-face meetings with applicants and the sponsors?

If not then it's no wonder we're letting undesirables in.

[The Phantom]

7 hours ago, Gladys said:

If you look at Roger's link, it is both Manx and English notes, and in large volumes.  

I cannot remember the last time I got an English note here other than at the Sea Terminal ATM.  So, serious amounts of drugs are being purchased here using English notes.  How is that?  

For the Manx notes, how do they process them once they get the cash to the UK? That's the question. 

Some dealers here will only take UK money or bank transfers.   So I'm told.... 

[The Phantom]

1 hour ago, trench12 said:

 

how many fishing boats/pleasure craft are subject to inspection inbound/outbound?

when was the last time the coasters into Ramsey were searched ?

 

Been a couple of fishing boats searched and seized recently.  Also hearing from the 'boating community' there have been some interesting goings on with speedboats/RIBs off the east coast that have been kept very quiet  

Some guys used to bring stuff in on the cargo vessels in Ramsey. 

[Albert Tatlock]

8 hours ago, Gladys said:

For the Manx notes, how do they process them once they get the cash to the UK? That's the question. 

Suggests to me some major third party involvement, perhaps bringing them back and laundering through some business or other.

Manx notes in the UK are effectively worthless,  and given the likelihood of criminals in that game robbing each other, who in the UK is going to nick ten grand of Manx notes - and do what with them even if they did?

[Albert Tatlock]

48 minutes ago, The Phantom said:

Been a couple of fishing boats searched and seized recently.  Also hearing from the 'boating community' there have been some interesting goings on with speedboats/RIBs off the east coast that have been kept very quiet  

Some guys used to bring stuff in on the cargo vessels in Ramsey. 

Fishing is a cash business,  but the ideal candidates for me would be a small firm that moves people/stuff on/off island, and any number of small businesses that fairly regularly visit the UK buying small but valuable stock.

If films are to be believed, 30% is the going laundering rate, and the best way of not spending criminal proceeds and not going on anyone's radar is buying gold and jewellery (particularly easy if you actually sell the very same yourself!).

The police might be catching a lot of low hanging fruit, but there's probably someone very well known who looks squeaky-clean on the island operating right under their very noses.

[cissolt]

5 hours ago, John Wright said:

I know I’m tempting fate, but it’s 10 years since I’ve been pulled for a search in any port served by the SPco.

I travel a lot. I rarely see cars pulled over in Douglas or in Heysham.

Is your “hundreds of vehicles a week” a tad over the top? A bit of Mr Toad’s hyperbowl?

Last time it was attempted they gave up. It was Liverpool on the floating road down to the landing stage. There were no notices that it was a maritime security zone, under the relevant legislation, and that there might be searches. The guy wanting to search was not in any uniform, didn’t have a badge or any form of ID. I asked for his ID and warrant or authority. He should have had 2 out of the three. His response was to use his walkie talkie to tell someone I was refusing to be searched. I then spoke with the guy at the other end of the walkie talkie, explained I wasn’t refusing, but wanted to be certain that the guy actually was authorised, I pointed out that the lack of notices or ID and authority made attempted searches illegal. He agreed. 

The notices are now in place and they also have lanyards with ID/authority. So not something I’ll be repeating.

I have been travelling a lot recently for medical appointments and it's ferry only due to my condition, but there is always a queue at the search bay leaving the island.  Coming back through Heysham I haven't even had my ID glanced at.

Perhaps we should consider stopping the criminals entering rather than checking cars for drugs or bombs that don't exist on departure.

[The Phantom]

28 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Fishing is a cash business,  but the ideal candidates for me would be a small firm that moves people/stuff on/off island, and any number of small businesses that fairly regularly visit the UK buying small but valuable stock.

If films are to be believed, 30% is the going laundering rate, and the best way of not spending criminal proceeds and not going on anyone's radar is buying gold and jewellery (particularly easy if you actually sell the very same yourself!).

The police might be catching a lot of low hanging fruit, but there's probably someone very well known who looks squeaky-clean on the island operating right under their very noses.

Bullion. 

I had to transport some money across borders a few years ago.  Not for drugs, but for something that would be easier kept under the radar.  I did it with gold.

It's approx £60k per kilo now and luckily because it is very dense, the new Royal Mint 1 kilo gold bars are 11.8 cm long, 5.3 cm wide and 0.8 cm thick. Approximately the size of an iPhone 5.

It also doesn't smell. 

Edited Monday at 03:42 PM by The Phantom

[Albert Tatlock]

1 minute ago, The Phantom said:

Bullion. 

No...it's true.

[John Wright]

18 minutes ago, cissolt said:

Perhaps we should consider stopping the criminals entering

Given that Manx Police and Treasury Customs & Excise have no authority at Heysham it’d be more Lancashire Constabulary than we. They’ve got bigger fish to fry.

If there is a border, even a non international one like GB IoM, and within the CTA, its port of arrival that controls, even when port of arrival, as at Eurotunnel/le shuttle has the French stationed in Folkestone and the Brits in Coquelles.

I understand the desire of Police, C&Ex, DHA, etc wanting to gather and keep info on us citizens, and we’ve had it before with embarkation and landing cards during the worst of the Prevention of Terrorism regimes.

But, honestly, there should be no more controls or restrictions than boarding a train from London to Manchester, or ferries to the IoW or Scottish Islands.

It’s intelligence that catches people ( that and the fact that most of the traffickers are inept, or get careless, keep records, use the same vehicle, every last Thursday, don’t change phones regularly, don’t have their WhatsApp set to auto delete, keep dealing lists in notes. And police have access to passenger lists and vehicle registrations. And they swap info with GB forces.

This is mainly down to the perception that there’s a drug problem, and that by doing something we can reduce it. It’s a failed policy over the last 50 years. Our “problem” matches that across. That’s inevitable. However, the fight creates a very specific micro economic climate by detecting and confiscating a proportion of the drugs coming in. So the people wholesaling in GB to IoM put the price up to cover “shrinkage”. That makes IoM an even more attractive market. 

The answer has got to be decriminalisation, control of supply, and proper medical and social support, medicalise drugs, not criminalise.

Decriminalisation went wrong in the states because there was no, or no adequate, medical or social support.

 

[Two-lane]

5 hours ago, cissolt said:

the current searches of hundreds of vehicles a week

If you want to know what a proper car search looks like, watch The French Connection.

 

[The Phantom]

6 minutes ago, John Wright said:

It’s a failed policy over the last 50 years. Our “problem” matches that across. That’s inevitable. However, the fight creates a very specific micro economic climate by detecting and confiscating a proportion of the drugs coming in. So the people wholesaling in GB to IoM put the price up to cover “shrinkage”. That makes IoM an even more attractive market. 

 

Never thought of it that way to be honest. So ironically, increased searches and busts will actually increase the drug trade here.  Brilliant.  Maybe JPW and the Police will get a thank you card from the Scouse Cartels?

I actually heard someone say recently it's triple the price here.  I don't believe it is that much, but it is definitely more and therefore if successful even more profit.