A driver stopped by police in Inverness had cocaine worth £1,100 in a hidden compartment in his car.
Officers pulled Gheorghe Mois over on Kessock Road in relation to a separate matter, but soon began to suspect he may be in possession of drugs.
A search of his car found nine bags of white powder in a hidden compartment beside the driver’s seat.
Driver admits intent to supply
Mois, 33, appeared from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court, where, with the help of an interpreter, he admitted possessing a class A drug with intent to supply.
Fiscal depute Shay Treanor told the court it was around 12.50pm on April 8 that police on patrol had reason to stop Mois’ car.
He said: “They formed the opinion that the accused may be in possession of drugs.
“They carried out a search of the car and found nine bags of white powder in a hidden compartment beside the driver’s seat.
Mois was then arrested, cautioned and charged before being taken into custody.
Search found cocaine worth £1,100
The fiscal depute said subsequent testing revealed the substance to be 11 grams of the class A drug cocaine.
He told Sheriff David Harvie that, if organised in “deals”, the drugs would have an estimated street value of around £1,100.
Hearing the sheriff’s intention to call for presentencing reports, Mois’ solicitor Kevin Hughes reserved his comments in mitigation for the next calling of the case.
The sheriff ordered a criminal justice social work report for Mois and deferred the case until the end of next month.
Mois, who is of no fixed abode, was remanded in the meantime.