A man sent £20,000 worth of heroin in the post from Stonehaven to Shetland but police intercepted the package and traced it right back to his home.
Marc Smith was foiled by a sniffer dog that detected diamorphine inside the parcel, which he had sent using a tracked delivery service.
The 25-year-old drug addict had been facing threats of violence against himself and his family if he refused to take on the mailing job to clear his debts with drug dealers.
But he was caught out by unlucky timing when police happened to be carrying out an anti-drugs operation at the Royal Mail Sorting Office in Lerwick.
And Smith had worn a distinctive, bright red high-visibility vest as he visited Arduthie post office, where he was easily identified by staff.
Snared by Hera the sniffer dog
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thomson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that the posted item was sent from the Kirkton Road post office in the Co-op store and filling station.
Smith had paid for it to go to an address in Lerwick on October 28 last year via a tracked delivery service.
Miss Thomson said: “On October 29 last year, police officers were conducting an operation at the Royal Mail Sorting Office in Lerwick, with drugs dog Hera.
“During the operation, Hera indicated the presence of drugs within the package, sent by the accused the day before.
“The package was opened and contained within was found to be 400.62g of Diamorphine, packaged in tape.
“A drugs search warrant was craved and granted in respect of the accused’s home address and executed on November 11 last year.”
Sniffer dog Hera is Shetland’s newest springer spaniel in a five-strong team of dogs that are trained to sniff out specific illicit scents.
They are often used on Orkney and Shetland at the ferry terminals and mail sorting offices.
When police raided Smith’s property, they recovered a black Nokia mobile phone, small self-seal bags and a tin containing £360 in £20 notes.
Officers also found sealable smell-proof bags, a tin with self-seal bags inside and the red high-visibility vest worn by the offender while posting the package.
Smith admitted a charge of being concerned in the supply of a Class A controlled drug.
It was valued at £9,600 but estimated to have a potential street value of £20,030.
Dealers gave addict an ‘ultimatum’
Defence agent Iain McGregor said his client has a “fairly significant” drug addiction and had bought from dealers who then “essentially offered him an ultimatum” and a means to clear his debts with them.
“He was told in no uncertain terms that, if he didn’t accept what was being proposed, not only himself but his family would be subjected to certain acts of violence.
“There are steps he could have taken but he followed the line of least resistance and did as instructed”, the solicitor explained.
‘Only imprisonment is appropriate’
Sheriff Andrew Miller said Smith was involved in sending a “significant quantity” of drugs to Shetland.
“Even if ultimately you were not in control of those drugs, you contributed to the chain of supply which causes damage to individuals and communities.
“Only a significant sentence of imprisonment is appropriate.”
He jailed Smith, a prisoner at HMP Grampian in Peterhead, for 28 months – backdated to November last year.
He also granted a Crown motion for forfeiture of the £320 confiscated from Smith’s home.
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