A drug dealer who was arrested during a police probe into a serious crime gang made tens of thousands of pounds from his life of crime, a judge has heard.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Robert Burns, 28, made a total of £51,485 during his career as a criminal in the Aberdeen area.
But Judge Lord Fairley heard how prosecutors who brought a proceeds of crime action against Burns can only recover £5,655 from him at this point in time.
Burns, also of Aberdeen, was jailed for four years and eight months at the High Court in Edinburgh in March 2021.
He and sidekick Jed Duncan, 26, – who was jailed for three years and four months – were brought to justice following an anti-drug dealing initiative codenamed Operation Taco.
The court heard how DNA evidence linked Burns to seizures of cocaine worth £161,000 on the streets and similar forensic evidence showed that Duncan was involved with packages of the Class A drug worth in excess of £36,000 if broken down into street deals.
Prosecutor Jane Farquharson QC said: “Operation Taco was a Police Scotland investigation into the Class A drug dealing habits of a serious and organised crime group based in the Aberdeen area. During covert observations suspicion focused on the two accused.”
‘He should have known better’
She said on November 6 2020, Duncan was seen getting into the driver’s seat of “a vehicle of interest” – a white Renault Kangoo van – and driving away from Cranford Road, in Aberdeen.
The vehicle was later searched and cocaine in bags was recovered with Duncan’s DNA found on knots on the packaging. Quantities of the bulking agent benzocaine and an analgesic were also seized.
A search was carried out at his home address in Bedford Avenue, Aberdeen, and £4,290 in cash was found along with keys for a flat in the city’s Urquhart Road. During a search of the flat bowls with traces of cocaine and benzocaine were found in the kitchen.
Burns admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine on November 18 and 19 last year. Duncan pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug in the city between November 4 and 6 2020.
Defence advocate Neil Shand, for Burns, said he had built up debts of about pounds £4,500 and was being pressed for repayment. Threats were made towards him.
He said Burns, who was living between addresses in Aberdeen and Portlethen, became involved to pay off the debt.
He added: “He should have known better. He is going to have to face the consequences of his actions.”
On Monday, prosecutor Dan Byrne told Lord Fairley that the Crown and Burns’s lawyers had agreed that the accused had made £51,485 but only had £5,655 available at this point in time.
Lord Fairley then made an order for £5,655 to be seized from Burns, who has six months to pay the sum at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
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