An Angus man has been locked up after being foiled in his bid to have almost £20,000 worth of ecstasy delivered from Amsterdam.
Lewis Webster was just a teenager when he began his scheme.
He travelled to the Netherlands to buy Class A drugs, which he tried to deliver to a friend’s house on Bruce Road, Arbroath.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how the haul of more than 1,000 tablets had been on its way to a “Lewis Jackson” in Arbroath.
Webster has been jailed for almost four years after pleading guilty to importing and dealing the drugs between December 2018 and October 2019.
Drawn to ‘glamour’ of drug dealing
The court heard how Webster was enamoured with the “glamour” connected to drug dealing.
“There is absolutely nothing glamourous about a world associated with controlled drugs,” Sheriff Richard McFarlane said.
“Four parcels of MDMA tablets had a potential value of £11,000 and crystals between £6-8,000.
“If you were picking up parcels with that sort of value a couple of times a week, you were involved in bringing to this country a very significant amount of Class A drugs and that’s a very real problems in this area and Scotland in general.”
A search warrant was executed by police in August 2019 on the Bruce Road property.
The woman who lived there confirmed Webster would have parcels delivered to the address under that name.
Fingerprints on intercepted packages
Webster made two trips to Amsterdam in January and March 2019, after taking out almost €6,000 from Ramsdens each time.
Over three dates in July 2019, the Border Force intercepted parcels from a pram company in Alkmaar.
Fiscal depute Kirsten Letford said: “The parcels were likely hijacked by a criminal gang. UK Border Force recovered 1,103 tablets.
“They had a potential value of £11,030. MDMA crystals weighing 199g were recovered with a potential value of between £6,000 and £8,000.
“The accused’s fingerprints were found on the packages.”
‘Big plans’
The woman at the Bruce Road property told police Webster would visit twice a week and used the address to collect parcels.
Mrs Letford said: “The accused had told her he had big plans but she takes his claims with a pinch of salt.”
Webster’s bank account showed a number of high value transactions, with independent witnesses confirming they had previously bought ecstasy from Webster.
It was also revealed he had purchased vacuum bags and padded envelopes.
Solicitor Billy Rennie said Webster was under no illusions a custodial sentence was inevitable.
He added Webster initially started the scheme as a means of funding his own drug habit.
He said: “It turned into something altogether more serious. In the report, it’s commented that he describes the drugs being glamourous in the past.
“That’s something he certainly doesn’t believe now.”
Sheriff McFarlane jailed Webster for a total of 45 months.
The charges
Webster, now 22, of Glenesk Avenue, Montrose, pled guilty to being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition of MDMA – illegally importing ecstasy.
Those crimes began on December 10 2018, when he was just 19, until July 21 2019.
Between December 10 2018 and October 11 2019, Webster, who has a previous conviction for cultivating cannabis, was concerned in the supply of the drugs on Bruce Road and High Street, Arbroath and his home address.
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