Three men caught in a £230,000 drugs raid were jailed today for a total of 17 years and three months.
Keith Whyte, from Ellon, Lewis McGrath, from Westhill, and Scott Fitzgerald, from Glasgow, were caught after an operation carried out by Serious Organised Crime Taskforce.
Fitzgerald, 34, and McGrath, 30, were watched by officers conducting a drugs handover in Glasgow’s Garthamlock on March 30 2022.
Both men’s houses were later raided and a further significant amount of drugs were recovered.
Fitzgerald was even caught by officers hiding in his wardrobe, which also contained a sawn-off shotgun.
A phone seized by McGrath contained messages between him and Whyte, 33, about drugs supply.
Fitzgerald, Whyte and McGrath pled guilty in August at the High Court in Glasgow to drugs offences.
Fitzgerald also pled guilty to firearms offences.
Fitzgerald was sentenced to six years and six months, Whyte to six years and McGrath to four years and nine months.
£128,800 of cocaine discovered
The court heard that police surveillance spotted Fitzgerald place a carrier bag in a car driven by McGrath.
Officers stopped the car later that day and £123,800 of cocaine was recovered as well as an iPhone.
The phone was searched and messages about the supply of drugs were found between McGrath and Whyte from February 14 2022.
The pair spoke about doing a “money run” and asking “how many g you need me to bag.”
McGrath’s home was then raided and cocaine worth up to £85,700 was found as well as scales and £350 in cash.
Police forced entry to Fitzgerald’s home in Glasgow’s Garthamlock and found him hiding inside a wardrobe.
A weighted bag was also recovered from the same location.
Officers also removed a pair of jeans to find the barrel of a firearm.
Officers found a shotgun in the weighted bag with fingerprints matching Fitzgerald recovered from it.
A quantity of cash, vacuum bags and a can labelled CS gas was also found.
Adulterants for heroin and £21,000 of the drug were further recovered.
Officers hail convictions
The gun was described as “Italian manufactured, double barrel, over and under, break action shotgun”.
It was designed to discharge 20-bore shot cartridges.
It was revealed Whyte, of Ellon, has a High Court previous conviction for being concerned in the supply of cocaine and was jailed for five years.
McGrath, a warehouse supervisor of Westhill, has one minor non-analogous conviction while Fitzgerald a conviction for possession of heroin.
Detective Inspector Robin Sim, of the Specialist Crime Division, said: “This sentencing underlines our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy.
“We are working hard to ensure Scotland is a hostile environment for those who want to engage in criminal activity.
“Information from the public is crucial in helping us to combat those involved in drugs activity in our communities. It is only as a community working together that we can tackle drug dealing activity.”