A former football player was jailed for nine years today after he was found to be in charge of a major drug dealing operation in the Highlands.
Alasdair Finlayson was linked to a stash of cocaine and cannabis worth more than £650,000 on the streets.
A judge told former Alness United player Finlayson: “You were in charge and actively involved in a substantial drug dealing operation.”
Judge Simon Collins KC told him that he would have faced a 10-year prison sentence for the offences, but for his guilty pleas.
Finlayson, 26, earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis between January and August 2020.
An ‘astonishing’ downward spiral
The High Court in Edinburgh heard the drugs operation used “stash sites” in wooded areas in the countryside to hide drugs, cash and bulking agents to cut the cocaine.
The judge was told that Finlayson was assessed as the individual in charge after he was found to have travelled between sites and sold drugs.
But the Crown accepted he had built up debts to those higher up in organised crime and had received threatening messages over the debts.
Defence solicitor advocate James Keegan KC, for Finlayson, said he had played football for North Caledonian side Alness United and went into coaching, before getting caught up in drug dealing.
Mr Keegan told the court: “It is astonishing to see such a downward spiral in a relatively short period of time.”
The defence lawyer said that Finlayson, formerly of Shillinghill, Alness, in Ross-shire, expected “a substantial prison sentence” to be imposed on him.
Co-accused Cameron Ross, 22, formerly of Cromlet Park, Invergordon, was jailed for 23 months after admitting being concerned in the supply of cocaine between June 10 and 12 in 2020 at woodland off Glenglass Road, in Evanton.
Ryan Ross, 28, of Gateside, Balintore, Tain, was ordered to carry out 300 hours unpaid work under a community payback order and fined £2,000 after admitting a proceeds of crime offence by acquiring and having possession of criminal property in sums of cash between July 13 and August 6 in 2020.
A fourth man Daniel Degan, 32, of Coach House Cottages, Alness, was also fined £2,000 and ordered to carry out 300 hours unpaid work after admitting being concerned in the supply of cocaine on July 31 in 2020.
How the operation was brought down
The court heard the drugs operation was uncovered after Scottish police officers began assisting counterparts from England over suspected English drug dealers.
Scottish officers watched a series of meetings between “persons of interest to the English authorities” and Highland locals.
Police discovered a site at Fyrish where clumps of moss had moved to create a hideout for drugs, cash, gloves, scales and bulking agents.
They found 10 kilos of herbal cannabis and more than one and a half kilos of cannabis.
Further drugs, including a haul of high-purity cocaine, were also found in searches of woods at Munlochy and off the Glenglass Road in Evanton.