A former footballer who made more than £200,000 from drug dealing has been ordered to hand back over £15,000 under proceeds of crime laws.
Alasdair Finlayson, 26, was linked to cocaine and cannabis seized in the Highlands during a police anti-drugs operation.
It recovered drugs with a street value of more than £650,000.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Finlayson and his gang used “stash sites” in wooded areas to hide drugs, cash and bulking agents to cut the cocaine.
Finlayson was considered to be the man in charge after he was found to have travelled between sites and sold drugs, the judge was told.
Defence solicitor advocate James Keegan KC, representing Finlayson, said he had played football for North Caledonian side Alness United and went into coaching, before getting caught up in drug dealing.
Judge orders £15,000 confiscation
Mr Keegan told the court: “It is astonishing to see such a downward spiral in a relatively short period of time”.
On Monday, prosecutor Dan Byrne and defence lawyer Donald Findlay KC told another hearing in Edinburgh that they had come to an agreement about how much Finlayson made from his crimes.
Judge David Young KC then ordered £15,000 to be confiscated from Finlayson.
At proceedings earlier this year, Mr Keegan 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, of 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 Tain, was ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work under a community payback order and fined £2,000, after admitting to 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 Alness, was also fined £2,000 and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work after admitting to being concerned in the supply of cocaine on July 31 in 2020.
The court heard the drugs operation was uncovered after Scottish police officers began assisting counterparts from England investigating suspected English drug dealers.
Scottish officers watched a series of meetings between “persons of interest to the English authorities” and Highland locals.
‘Stash site’ near Fyrish Monument
Police discovered a site near the Fyrish Monument, where clumps of moss had been moved to create a hideout for drugs, cash, gloves, scales and bulking agents.
They found 10kg of herbal cannabis and more than 1.5kg 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.
Prosecutors can return to court to seize more of Finlayson’s money if they become aware that he has more criminal assets.
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