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A Douglas man has been jailed for 18 months after being caught storing cannabis worth £120,000 in a suitcase.

 

50-year-old Frank Thomas was acting as a "warehouse" man when police raided his home on Hillside Avenue on December 23rd last year. 

 

They found over 9.6 kilograms of cannabis bush in the case in his living room - more than £6,000 of cash was also recovered. 

 

In addition Thomas handed over around 500 grams of cannabis bush and resin which he'd hidden behind a kitchen cupboard - this was valued between £1,405 and £2,659. 

 

He was arrested and told officers he'd been "pressurised" into holding onto the drugs for a dealer who he refused to name - the smaller quantity of cannabis was his payment for doing so. 

 

Thomas later pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis bush and resin and possession of cannabis bush with intent to supply. 

 

At Douglas Courthouse yesterday his advocate told the court he was a "long term user" of the drug saying he'd built up a debt and storing the drug was a way of paying it off. 

 

Sentencing him Deemster Montgomerie told Thomas - who has 17 pages of previous convictions, many of which for cannabis related offences - that he was "very disappointed" to see him back in court. 

 

Addressing him as he sent him to prison he told him "You're no spring chicken - it's about time you showed some responsibility; if you don't you're going to end up a very lonely old man". 

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