An Elgin woman was caught supplying £2,750 worth of heroin for a Liverpool-based organised crime group targeting the north.
Gemma Gray, 31, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin at the Esso petrol station in Elgin’s West Road, at various parts of Inverness near to Birchview Court, Millerton Avenue and Clachnaharry Road, as well as at home and elsewhere, between April 25 and May 3 last year.
Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood deferred sentence until May 23.
Yesterday procurator fiscal Michelle Molley told Inverness Sheriff Court that Gray was arrested following an intelligence led operation carried out by the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit of Police Scotland.
She said: “This was an investigation into the organised criminality of a Liverpool-based serious organised crime group who were involved in the large scale supplying of Class A controlled drugs between Liverpool and the Inverness area. The accused is linked to that group in these proceedings.”
Ms Molley explained that on May 3 last year, while surveilling members of the group, police observed a Ford Focus stop in front of a Sports Direct store before being parked at nearby Matalan at the Edgar Road Retail Park in Elgin.
The car driver was observed making several phonecalls and nine minutes later the accused met the driver before entering the front passenger seat.
The car then went to Gray’s home address at Manbeen Place, where she and the driver entered the property for about 17 minutes before leaving. Gray was initially detained for a separate matter not linked to the drugs charge.
Police searched the property at 11.20am that day and recovered a knotted bag containing heroin with a street value of £1,400, as well as a wrap of heroin worth £1,350.
A set of scales and two mobile phones and £70 in cash were also recovered.
Defence solicitor James McMackin said his client was “preyed upon” because of her vulnerability by people who use people who they can cajole into such activities.