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Douglas man trying to repay drug debt caught with £23K of cannabis

56-year-old 'pressured' into drug trafficking

A Douglas man who owes a drug dealer more than £100,000 has been remanded at the Isle of Man Prison after being caught with cannabis.

Frank John Thomas, of Belmont Terrace, was trafficking the drugs for the individual as part of efforts to repay his debt.

The 56-year-old admitted possession of cannabis resin and bush with intent to supply, and possession of almost £14,000 in criminal cash, during an appearance at Douglas Courthouse.

Police stopped Thomas on Kensington Road, at 5.40pm, on 24 November.

They could smell cannabis coming from his work van and he told officers: “There’s a kilo of cannabis under the seat.”

After searching the vehicle, they found more than 1,200 grams of the Class B substance, worth more than £23,000, as well as eight bundles of cash, phones and digital scales.

Police also recovered a further 8.4 grams of cannabis from his home address with a street value of £168 which Thomas later admitted possessing.

Thomas’ advocate told the court the dealer had caused serious injury to people who owed him in the past adding: “He was pressured into committing this offence due to his historic drug debt.”

Thomas will be sentenced at the Court of General Gaol Delivery on 6 January.

An application for bail was refused and he was remanded at the Isle of Man Prison until that date.

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