A smuggler who hid heroin and cocaine in his body so he could take them to Shetland by ferry was made to use a specially designed “drugloo” by police.
Levi Grant, along was accomplice Laura Petrie, was stopped by police as he tried to board the boat at the Northlink Ferry Terminal in Aberdeen.
The pair both had almost £10,000 of drugs “concealed internally”, and Petrie “removed a wrap” while being searched.
Grant, 19, also stated he had drugs hidden in a similar fashion and was given access to the specially designed toilet to excrete them.
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened around 7pm on January 4.
Caught while boarding ferry
He said: “Intelligence identified that the accused were transporting drugs to Shetland to then be sold there.
“While attempting to board the ferry, the accused were both cautioned and detained.”
The pair were then taken back to Kittybrewster station for a full search.
Mr Middleton said: “Petrie was searched and removed a wrap containing a brown substance which had been concealed internally.
“Grant stated before being placed into a cell that he was internally concealing controlled drugs.
Drugs valued at almost £10,000
“He was given access to the ‘drugloo’, which is a specially designed toilet, where he excreted four packages.
“These were found to be three wraps of brown substance and a wrap of white substance.”
In total, 26.53g of cocaine was recovered with a value of £2,550, while 111.48g of heroin was found, worth £7,420.
Grant, of Nelson Street, Aberdeen, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and heroin.
Meanwhile, Petrie, of Keith, admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin.
Defence agent Shane Campbell, representing Grant, said his client was just 18 at the time of the incident and is a first offender.
He said Grant had started using cannabis to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression but then turned to harder drugs and crack cocaine.
Mr Campbell went on: “In pursuance of that level of drug use, he, not surprisingly, accumulated substantial debt.
‘Pressure was applied under threat of violence to her and her family’
“As is often the case with those higher up the chain, they were able to utilise the fact he was in debt to make threats to him and his family.
“If he were to transport the drugs, the debt would be cancelled and there would be no further action.
“He felt he really had no option but to comply at the time.”
Solicitor Paul Barnett, appearing for Petrie, described his client as a “somewhat damaged individual” who had developed a heroin addiction as a young woman.
He said she had been drug-free for a number of years and became a mother, but relapsed into addiction when her own mother died in 2017.
Mr Barnett said Petrie had also built up a drug debt and “pressure was applied under threat of violence to her and her family to courier these drugs to Shetland”.
He added that the heroin Petrie had been carrying was worth between £700 and £900.
Sheriff Andrew Miller ordered Grant to complete 225 hours of unpaid work and imposed a curfew on Petrie for six months.
He also imposed a 12-month supervision order on them both.
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