A pensioner who split his time between Plymouth and the Isle of Man has been found guilty of conspiracy to transfer criminal property.

Sixty-seven-year-old former taxi boss Leslie Palmer was convicted by a jury at Plymouth Crown Court after the prosecution claimed he was part of a heroin ring.

Palmer was arrested following a huge investigation codenamed Operation Greaves, which Devon and Cornwall Police described as the biggest and most complex operation of its kind they had ever run.

Over the course of a two-day trial the court heard him claim ?20,000 found in his son's car, and destined for dealers in Manchester, belonged to him.

Palmer, who told the court he had lived on the Isle of Man for 27 years, claimed his son had stolen the money from his home safe.

Police returned it to him, but only after they had photographed the serial numbers on every note.

A few weeks later, ?5,000 of the cash was found in a drug courier's car, and prosecutor Simon Laws said it was inconceivable the cash could end up in a drug deal twice unless Palmer had known about it.

Judge Francis Gilbert QC granted Leslie Palmer unconditional bail until he is sentenced with eight other people on a date to be fixed.