Polar Star - March - May 2024
Tuesday 19 March 2024
 7.4°C   S Fresh Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Court / Drugs dogs foil attempt to bring heroin into Shetland in chocolate boxes

A MAN’s attempt to smuggle heroin worth more than £30,000 into Shetland through the post by concealing it in chocolate boxes and a spice jar was foiled by drugs detection dogs, Lerwick Sheriff Court heard on Wednesday.

Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie described Andrew Flaws’ supply as a “money making operation”.

The 38-year-old, whose address was given as Grampian Prison, appeared from custody via video link on Wednesday to admit being concerned in the supply of diamorphine to others between 8 April and 1 July last year.

The offence related to three packages sent to Shetland in the post last year. The first was intercepted at the Lerwick mail delivery office April, with the other two following in May and June.

The court heard that the first package was addressed to an associate of the accused.

It was a Milk Tray chocolate box – sent by special delivery – which contained 25 bags of heroin placed in the holes where the confectionary would have been.

Some of the chocolates were still in the box, Mackenzie said, who added that the package was picked up by drugs dogs.

The weight of drugs in the package amounted to 245g.

The second package was similar in circumstances – a chocolate box containing 17 bags of powder which was intercepted by the dogs. The weight was 184 grams.

Mackenzie said there was a “clear pattern emerging”, as the recipient on the parcel was a relative of the associate involved in the first package.

The third package was again detected by the drugs dogs. Mackenzie described it as a spice jar, with the substances weighing 27.62 grams.

“It was heavily disguised with perfume in an attempt to disguise the odour to the detection dog,” he said.

Mackenzie said broken down into their smallest sellable amounts, the value of drugs seized came to £30,490.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

 

But he conceded that figure only represented what was actually recovered.

The court heard that the amounts of drugs were lowered each time to lessen the risk of loss to those involved.

Police enquiries resulted in a search warrant at Flaws’ address, with officers recovering packaging linked to the Glasgow post office where the three intercepted parcels were sent from.

They also recovered money and a mobile phone which had correspondence with an associate in Glasgow related to the packages.

These included instructions being given about how to package the third item with perfume.

“This was not the accused simply trying to put down little bits of heroin to feed a habit,” Mackenzie said.

The court also heard that there was a picture on the phone of what appeared to be Flaws holding a “significant amount” of heroin – essentially advertising it.

Sheriff Ian Cruickshank adjourned the case for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report.

The case will next be heard on 8 June, with Flaws remanded in the meantime. His defence will give representation on this date.

Consideration of forfeiture of the items seized by the police has also been continued to 8 June.

Space2face

Space2face Shetland

Space2face Shetland is an independent and confidential service which uses Restorative Justice and the arts to bring those harmed by crime or conflict and those responsible for the harm into communication. We enable everyone affected by a particular incident to play a part in repairing the harm and finding a positive way forward.

If you would like to reach out to us, please contact us via e-mail info@space2face.org or mobile 07564 832467.

If you would like to know more, visit our website www.space2face.org, or our Facebook page #space2faceshetland.


The project is also currently fundraising to secure office space in Shetland’s brand-new creativity and wellness centre, The Mission. If you’re interested in getting involved, or making a donation, head over to www.space2face.org/how-you-can-help

 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.