Two drug traffickers who were caught with £32,000 of cocaine and heroin at luxury apartments in Aberdeen have been jailed.
Davanual Linton, 26, and Miguel Figueiredo-Mendes, 24, claimed that they had returned to the illicit trade because of debts over previous drugs busts.
Police found Class A drugs on open display at the property in Aberdeen after recovering a key and gloves when they were called to another address in the city.
Linton, from Croydon, in London, was jailed for five years and 219 days for his part in the drugs operation.
His co-accused Figueiredo-Mendes, of Chigwell, in Essex, was imprisoned for three years and four months.
They were paying off a drugs debt
Lady Carmichael told Linton: “You have three previous convictions which relate to the supply of controlled drugs.”
The judge said that because of his record he faced a seven-year jail term, but that would be discounted following his guilty plea.
She told his co-accused: “I take into account that you were paying off a debt and you were therefore acting under the direction of others.”
The pair both admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin on November 15 last year at Kepplestone Manor, on Queens Road.
Defence counsel Gareth Jones, for Figueiredo-Mendes, said he had previously been a low level street dealer acting on the direction of others higher up the drug supply chain.
He said there was a link between an earlier conviction in England and the latest offence.
Mr Jones said: “Following his arrest and conviction in 2016 drugs had been seized by the police. Those higher up the chain considered he had a debt to settle as a result of those drugs being seized.”
He was threatened and assaulted as pressure was brought to bear on him to settle the debt and agreed to become involved in the latest offence.
Mr Jones said his role was to “safeguard” the drugs found at the premises in Aberdeen and taking control of money brought in.
Michael Anderson, counsel for Linton, said: “He also had a debt from an earlier conviction in relation to drugs which had been forfeited.”
Drugs and cash found in various rooms
Advocate depute Eric Robertson said police had detained the pair in Aberdeen and recovered gloves and a key. DNA linked the pair to the gloves.
Inquiries revealed that Linton had made a booking at a serviced apartments. The prosecutor said: “Drugs and associated packaging were found in various rooms in the flat in open view.”
Cocaine worth up to £29,700 on the streets was recovered along with heroin worth up to £1,600.
A bottle of ammonia was also found which can be used to turn cocaine into crack and more than £5,700 was found, including £5,240 in cash under a mattress.
The Crown has brought a proceeds of crime action to seize illegal profits from the pair.