Two Guernsey men, Richard Le Cras (47) and Matthew Lovell (49), pleaded guilty to supplying MDMA, ketamine, cannabis and cannabis resin after drugs were found in a vinery and a trailer. Le Cras was jailed for 13 years 7 months; Lovell received 20 years 6 months and also admitted two counts of money‑laundering. Investigators uncovered about £460,000 believed to be criminal proceeds, and confiscation proceedings will now begin.
Two Men Jailed After Drugs Found Hidden In Guernsey Vinery; £460,000 Linked To Money‑Laundering
Le Cras (left) and Lovell (right) [Guernsey Police]
Two men have been jailed after significant quantities of class A and class B drugs were discovered hidden in a vinery in St Andrews, Guernsey, and a parallel inquiry uncovered about £460,000 believed to be proceeds of crime.
Richard Le Cras, 47, and Matthew Lovell, 49, pleaded guilty at Guernsey's Royal Court to supplying MDMA, ketamine, cannabis and cannabis resin. Lovell also admitted two counts of converting or transferring the proceeds of criminal conduct.
Court Sentences
At Wednesday's hearing, Le Cras was sentenced to 13 years and seven months in prison. Lovell received a longer term of 20 years and six months, reflecting both the drug supply convictions and his admitted money‑laundering offences.
Searches, Seizures And Forensic Links
Le Cras was arrested in May last year after customs officers searched a vinery he leased in St Andrews that had been used by Lovell. Officers found over 250g of MDMA inside a silver-coloured briefcase that Lovell had been seen handling, along with other evidence consistent with drug trafficking.
A subsequent search of a silver box trailer owned by Le Cras recovered a substantial haul of controlled drugs: 1.9kg of cannabis, 27.4kg of cannabis resin and 191.3g of ketamine. Forensic analysis of items seized from the trailer produced DNA matches linking both Lovell and Le Cras to the drugs.
Following his arrest, officers also seized more than £10,000 in cash and six Rolex watches from Lovell's home.
Money‑Laundering Investigation
In a separate but related probe, the Economic and Financial Crime Bureau (EFCB), working with the Guernsey Customs and Immigration Service (GCIS), uncovered approximately £460,000 suspected to be laundered funds. Police said the evidence from that inquiry formed the basis of Lovell's money‑laundering convictions.
Guernsey Police described the investigation as "very challenging and lengthy" and added: "Due to the tenacity of all the GCIS and EFCB investigators involved and the extent of the evidence presented to the court, both defendants tendered guilty pleas."
Police confirmed that confiscation proceedings will now begin to identify assets that may be available for recovery.
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