A Lithuanian crime gang caught in a £1 million cannabis bust during police raids across Peterhead has been jailed for a total of nearly 11 years today.
Romualdas Galdikas, Arturas Litkinas, Justas Brazinskas, and Tadas Jurjonas were caught after a series of raids on addresses in Peterhead, last year.
The High Court in Stirling heard the wholesale cost of the cannabis was about £300,000, but police said that its street value would have exceeded £1 million.
Galdikas, 43, was jailed for two years, Litkinas, 32, two years and eight months, Brazinskas, 26, three years and four months and Jurjonas, 45, two years and eight months.
The gang were told by judge Lord Mulholland that they all had limited or non-existent criminal records prior to the offence.
But he said: “You all came to this country and instead of working hard and taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to you, you engaged in criminal activity, growing and trafficking a controlled drug.
“This is a criminal offence in this country, as it is in your own, and you did this for profit.”
The four, whose addresses were all given as Peterhead, appeared for sentence at the High Court in Stirling after pleading guilty at the High Court in Glasgow in February to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.
The court heard they had all come to the UK since 2020 with plans to work in the construction, fish processing, and transport fields before becoming involved in cultivating and trafficking cannabis.
‘Sophisticated crime venture’
Prosecutor Bill McVicar said the gang had been involved in “a large scale, sophisticated and high valued organised crime venture”.
He said: “It was operated by a group from Lithuania who came to Peterhead to participate in cannabis cultivation and supply with a substantial street value.”
The four were soon identified as gang members by detectives and surveillance was carried out between January and March 2021.
Police kept watch on a number of properties in the Aberdeenshire town which had been converted into drug factories and used to produce “multi-kilogramme” hauls of cannabis.
Police raids
Officers from Police Scotland’s Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit conducted the raids.
Galdikas was caught at a two-bedroom house in Ugie Road, Peterhead.
A total of 77 cannabis plants were found along with other related equipment.
Brazinskas was held after a raid at a flat in the town’s Churchill Drive.
The front door had been barricaded with wood.
Once inside, officers found the attic had been adapted to a cannabis “drying and preparation” room.
A total of 23.7kg of the drug was seized from there.
Evidence gathered
A further 5.3kg of cannabis along with £1,780 in cash was discovered at a house in Kirkburn Drive, also linked to Brazinskas.
Another 142 plants were found in the two properties.
Jurjonas was arrested after police swooped at adjoining flats in Queen Street in Peterhead.
A hole had been created in a bedroom floor to gain access between the properties.
There, officers took away 3.6kg of cannabis and 197 plants following the searches.
The court heard Litinkas had 300 cannabis plants in his Vauxhall Insignia car when he was stopped on the A90 at Stracathro.
Police also found a notepad which appeared to have instructions on temperature for growing the drug.
Detective Inspector Robin Sim said: “These arrests were part of an intelligence-led operation that had been lengthy and complex.
“We are committed to disrupting the illegal and harmful supply of drugs in our communities.
“We will use every tool and tactic at our disposal to remove these illegal substances from our streets.
“We hope this sends a clear message to anyone who is involved in the supply of drugs onto the streets of Scotland that if you expect to profit from other people’s misery, expect to be targeted by law enforcement.
“No one is untouchable.”
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen and the latest crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group.
