A 35-YEAR-OLD from Salisbury has been charged with importing cannabis into Jersey after a £500,000 haul was seized on Friday.

The man was charged after customs and immigration officers examined a car that had arrived on the island from Weymouth having disembarked from the Condor ferry.

Officers discovered 36.5 kilos of cannabis with a local street price of around £547,500.

Director of law enforcement in Jersey Mark Cockerham said: “This was a routine examination at the ports and the vigilance of the officers is commendable.

“We have seen a marked increase of cannabis and cocaine in the last few months with around £1m worth in street value seized on its way to Jersey.

“Without doubt New Psychoactive Substances continue to be a major threat but we must also ensure that our intelligence and detection methods target all illegal drugs across the board so that we continue to have an effective border control.”