Jail for drug courier after largest single seizure of cannabis

Bournemouth man transported £417K of drug to the IoM

A Bournemouth man has been jailed for 46 months after he was caught trying to bring 21 kilos of cannabis to the Isle of Man.

Ali Asker Kilic, of St Winifreds Road, was concealing the Class B drug in a specially constructed storage compartment in his Mercedes van.

At Douglas Courthouse today (10 November) the 34-year-old, who has no previous convictions, was described as being a ‘courier’.

Hide

He was stopped at the Sea Terminal on 31 August, just after 11pm, after sailing to the Island from Liverpool; after becoming suspicious of his reason for visiting police searched his vehicle.

Underneath the front three seats they found an ‘after-market’ hydraulic hide containing 22 packages of cannabis which had a street value of up to £417,000.  

Kilic later admitted producing the class B drug and possessing it with intent to supply.

Credit: Isle of Man Constabulary

‘Surprise’

In interview Kilic told officers it was a ‘surprise’ to him that his van contained drugs and he refused to disclose who’d paid him to make the journey saying he had concerns for the safety of his family.

Kilic later admitted he knew he was transporting drugs but maintained he didn’t know what type or the quantity; he also denied building the hide and was sentenced on this basis.

In court Kilic’s advocate said his client had been blamed for the death of his father, which happened when he was a teenager, and he was doing his ‘level best’ to provide for his family in Turkey.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic he explained that Kilic had become involved with loan sharks adding: “There were stresses and strains on this man of a financial nature.”

Agreeing to courier the drugs, he said, was a way for him to ‘offset the debt’ which had built up.

“This is a man who feels such shame about what he’s done that he’s told his daughter he’s joined the army because he’s disappeared from her life.”  Steve Wood (Advocate)

‘High Risk’

Jailing Kilic Deemster Graeme Cook told him it was a ‘high risk’ strategy which had not paid off.

“This is an out of character situation for you,” he added: “There is clear evidence of remorse on your part.”

Deemster Cook also imposed an exclusion order which means Kilic will be prohibited from returning to the Isle of Man, for five years, on his release from custody.

Kilic will be permanently deprived of the vehicle he brought to the Island; the drugs will be destroyed.

Seizure

The Isle of Man Constabulary has told Manx Radio the cannabis Kilic transported to the Island represents the largest seizure of the drug the police have ever seen.

Credit: Isle of Man Constabulary