An unemployed man who agreed to post cocaine from Liverpool to Aberdeen for £500 has been jailed after the package was intercepted.
Anthony Gill was given the “opportunity” of making a quick buck, but the plan backfired when Royal Mail staff in Aberdeen spotted the suspicious parcel and notified police.
Officers found thousands of pounds worth of cocaine inside, and CCTV inquiries revealed Gill, 42, had posted it from Liverpool.
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that at 9.35am on January 29 staff at the Royal Mail delivery office in Aberdeen became aware of the package.
Gill had previous drug-related convictions
It had been sent from the Liverpool area the previous day, destined for an address in Aberdeen.
The package was found to contain 136.18g of cocaine and phenacetin, a common cutting agent.
Police experts estimated the drugs to be worth £5,340 in its current form, or up to £13,610 if broken down into smaller deals.
‘He was provided with this opportunity, if I can call it that’
Mr Middleton said: “Inquiries were carried out and CCTV footage of the original transaction was seized from a Post Office on South John Street in Liverpool from which the accused was identified as responsible for sending the parcel.”
A warrant was later executed at an address in Aberdeen on March 11 and Gill was found and arrested.
Gill, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
Defence agent Haseeb Hassan said his client took “full responsibility” for the offence.
He went on: “He was unemployed at the time. Due to the circumstances of Covid he was without employment for a period of time.
“He was provided with this opportunity, if I can call it that.”
The solicitor explained Gill was being paid £500 to deliver the package which was intercepted.
Sheriff Graham Buchanan jailed Gill, who has previously served time for drug-related crimes, for three years.
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