A man caught with cannabis, cocaine and blocks of amphetamine worth more than £150,000 in Aberdeen told police he was “just a soldier”.
Rafal Solecki was snared with the staggering haul when officers burst into his home on Menzies Road in Aberdeen.
In total, the substances, some of which were vacuum packed and some of which were in block form, had a potential street value of £153,500 if sold in small deals.
The 34-year-old pleaded with officers that he was “just a soldier” in the illegal operation, having become involved after losing his job during lockdown.
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told Aberdeen Sheriff Court Solecki was seen by officers parking a vehicle on Devenick Place and carrying a cardboard box into an address at 11.16am on November 3 2022.
‘I know I have to go to court’
A short time later he returned to his car without the box, which was suspected to contain drugs.
Police then pounced when a second male emerged from the address carrying the box, now in a carrier bag, and placed it into a car.
They detained the male and discovered the box contained cannabis.
Around 6.35pm on November 25 2022, officers again saw Solecki getting out of his car with a large cardboard box and entering a block of flats on Menzies Road, Aberdeen.
Five minutes later, officers swooped and executed a drug search warrant at the address, forcing entry and bursting in to find Solecki alone in the bedroom with the box.
It was found to contain five vacuum bags of cannabis.
‘An associate offered him an opportunity to make money’
Also within Solecki’s home, officers found further packages of cannabis and cocaine and two blocks of amphetamine.
Solecki was cautioned and arrested and made no reply.
In all, in relation to Solecki, police seized 7,568.62g of cannabis worth up to £126,050.
They also recovered 141.07g of cocaine worth up to £17,500.
The amphetamine was weighed at 995.55g, worth up to £9,950, although it was noted 7% of this weight was attributable to caffeine.
Cash totalling £555 was also seized.
When charged, Solecki replied: “I am just a soldier.
“I was in possession of the drugs but I am not a dealer, but I know I have to go to court.”
Solecki, now of Portal Crescent, Aberdeen, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis on various occasions between November 3 and 25 2022.
He also admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and amphetamine on a single date on November 25.
‘He is a cog in the machine’
Defence agent Iain Jane said his client, aside from the offences, led an “otherwise useful life”.
He said: “He fell into using drugs in 2020. He’d lost his employment because of Covid-19 and had been looking for work without success.
“An associate offered him an opportunity to make money which involved him using a property to store drugs.
“Because they were there and readily available, he began using.
“A debt built up and he was taken advantage of by others.”
Mr Jane said Solecki had been asked to drop the drugs off and was not normally used to delivering them.
The lawyer added: “His main involvement was to be the person who stored and packaged the drugs and they were thereafter collected by another individual.
“He is a cog in the machine.”
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told Solecki: “As you rightly recognise, only custody is appropriate.”
She jailed him for 20 months.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen as well as crime and breaking incidents, join our Facebook group.
