Timothy Ayres has been jailed for two and a half years after he and a man from Guernsey were arrested for drug offences and financial crimes.

Jersey's Royal Court sentenced the 43-year-old after a cross-islands investigation into his and Darrel El Mettouri's involvement in a £15.5k drugs money deal.

The Guernsey man was jailed earlier in the year (12 April 2024), for four years and four months for his crimes  - supplying cannabis and failing to declare exported cash. 

El Mettouri sailed to Jersey on a private boat in May 2023 and moored at the visitors' pontoon for the day.

The 41-year-old made his way to a bar in St Helier to meet Ayres, where he handed over thousands of pounds in cash.

On his way back to his boat, El Mettouri was arrested on Albert Pier, shortly after meeting Ayres, who was also arrested at the same time in the bar.

Jersey's Customs and Immigration Service and the police were working together with Guernsey Board Agency to monitor the duo and their movements.

The officers in Guernsey also searched El Mettouri's home and found 840g of cannabis.

Money seized by the joint investigation

Ayres and El Mettouri both had personal amounts of cocaine on them when they were arrested.

The Guernsey man also had £600 in cash and initially denied meeting the 43-year-old before admitting he did and supplied cannabis back home.

Ayres told police he met El Mettouri and gave him cocaine.

Additionally, law enforcement found a notebook on the 43-year-old which had a list of names with cash amounts next to them.

Ayres said in an interview that 'DEL' stood for Darren El Mettouri and that he received £15,440 from him in the bar.

The 43-year-old did not explain the other nine names in the book.

Money seized by the joint investigation

Jersey Customs and Immigration are continuing their investigations into Timothy Ayres' criminal assets.

Senior Manager Luke Goddard says JCIS will target the proceeds of drug trafficking as well as the movement of the drugs themselves.

"This operation is a perfect example of the close working relationship that exists between JCIS, GBA and SoJP and the ability to undertake covert activity against drug trafficking syndicates operating in the Islands."