A drug dealer stashed thousands of pounds worth of cocaine and heroin in a candyfloss tub at his Aberdeen home.
Adam Merchant was caught after police received intelligence he was involved in drug dealing from his flat on Great Northern Road in Aberdeen.
The 29-year-old was found in the street with a package of drugs before even more were found in his flat – including stashed in a candyfloss tub.
Merchant confessed to police that he was a drug runner and was being paid £50 a day for his efforts.
Fiscal depute Rebecca Thompson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court police had received intelligence during February and March 2022 that Merchant was involved in drugs supply.
At 10am on March 10, officers on mobile patrol on Great Northern Road spotted Merchant and, aware of the recent intel, stopped and spoke to him.
‘He was clearly being used by people further up the chain’
He was cautioned and detained for a drug search and told officers he had something in his jacket pocket.
A package containing 23 wraps of heroin and 70 wraps of cocaine was discovered.
A search warrant was then executed at his address where a tub containing 83 wraps of cocaine was found, along with a candyfloss tub with 57 wraps of cocaine inside.
Next to these items were a further tub, a spoon and a shoe box which appeared to have been used to prepare drugs.
They were later found to contain traces of heroin and cocaine as well as common cutting agents such as caffeine and paracetamol.
Scales and £2,855 in cash were also recovered.
Incriminating text messages
Merchant’s phone was also found to contain messages “indicative of him being concerned in the supply of controlled drugs” dating back to January 2022.
In total, £940 of heroin was recovered along with cocaine worth up to £6,660.
Merchant was arrested and, during interview, said he was “a runner and that he would pick up and drop off drugs when required”.
Ms Thompson told the court: “He stated that he would receive a phone call and be told where to collect drugs from a stash or from a person, and then he would wait for further calls which would direct him where to drop the drugs off.
“He also stated that he would collect drug dealing money at the end of a day and keep it within his house until he was told to deliver it.
“He confirmed that this is where the cash recovered from his bedroom was from.
“The accused also admitted making up deals of heroin and ‘crack’ cocaine within his home address and being paid about £50 a day to do this.
“He advised that he had been involved in drug dealing for approximately two months and during that time he would have probably sold about 20 ounces of heroin and about 20 ounces of ‘crack’ cocaine.”
He was cautioned and charged.
‘Relatively low level of involvement as a runner’
Merchant, of Great Northern Road, Aberdeen, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin between January 1 2022 and March 10 the same year.
Defence agent Neil McRobert said his client had been “extremely frank and open and honest” with police.
At the time of the offences, Merchant had lost his job and was “at a low ebb”.
Mr McRobert said: “He was struggling financially and it was suggested to him that a way to make money was to get involved in this, to which he foolishly agreed.
“His payment was £50 per day.
“I think it’s fair to say he was clearly being used by people further up the chain, but he knew what he was doing and was receiving payment.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace said the offences were a “serious matter” but added he took into account Merchant’s “relatively low level of involvement as a runner”.
He ordered him to complete 210 hours of unpaid work and imposed a six-month curfew as a direct alternative to custody.
He also granted a confiscation order in relation to the £2,855 recovered from Merchant’s home.
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