A man who was caught with nearly £20,000 in Class A drugs has been jailed and will likely be deported to South Africa following his release.
Viwe Bashe, 39, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court where he admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine after police officers swooped on his car and then searched his Kincorth home.
Inside, they found nearly £20,000 worth of drugs and a plastic Lidl bag containing more than £5,000 in cash.
Bashe, who is originally from South Africa, will likely face deportation upon his release from prison, his solicitor told the court.
He has lived in the UK since he was 18.
Drugs and cash found in home
Fiscal depute David Rogers told the court that 8.50am on February 15 this year police watched Bashe exit his home on Caiesdykes Road and walk towards his car, which was parked on Aldearn Road.
They then cautioned and detained Bashe and conducted a search and found 37 wraps of cocaine in his possession, estimated to have a total value of £1,720.
A further 22 wraps of brown substance were also discovered – later found to be heroin – with a total maximum value of £1,160.
A Nokia phone was taken from Bashe that contained messages indicative of someone who was selling Class A drugs.
When the officers informed Bashe that they intended to search his home, he voluntarily stated that he had more drugs inside the property.
He then gave them the key and allowed them entry into his home and locked bedroom.
Inside the room officers found a series of bags containing white and brown substances later confirmed to be cocaine and heroin.
The maximum value of heroin discovered was £11,060, while the total maximum amount of cocaine was £8,450.
A Lidl bag containing £5,250 in cash and a pair of scales were also found.
In the dock, Bashe admitted one charge of being concerned in the supply of heroin and a second charge of being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
‘Damage and misery’
Defence solicitor Lynn Bentley told the court that her client “accepted that there was only going to be one outcome today”.
However, she added that following a change in Bashe’s status, the UK Government would make “further moves to deport him back to South Africa”.
Ms Bentley said that while Bashe “didn’t seek to minimise his involvement” she did point out that due to this change in his situation, her client was prohibited to undertake paid work and, at the same time, wasn’t allowed to claim benefits of any kind.
“It’s a trade he wished that he did not have to become involved in, but it was either that or he would have been living hand to mouth by using food banks – he received no support,” the solicitor said.
Sheriff Andrew Miller described the volume of drugs found in Bashe’s possession as “substantial” and that he had a previous drug conviction from 2018, which was an “aggravating factor”.
He told Bashe: “The damage and misery caused by the sale of Class A drugs is well known in this part of the country and by involving yourself in the supply of these drugs, you contribute to that trade and the damage which it causes.
“However, the nature of your involvement was at a comparatively low level – you were not the person running this drug operation.”
Sheriff Miller sentenced Bashe, whose address was given as HMP Grampian, to 40 months imprisonment, backdated to February 16 this year.
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