A hapless drug dealer was twice caught trying to flood Tayside with crack cocaine worth tens of thousands of pounds.
Michael Gibson was snared by police as he drove to Dundee with packages of the class A drug.
And months later, he was caught peddling crack in the city’s Lochee area.
Perth Sheriff Court heard the 37-year-old was trying to pay off debts to central belt drug lords to make up for the drugs that were seized by police.
Gibson, of Kirk Street, Dundee, appeared in the dock on Thursday and admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine on November 30, 2020, and February 5, last year.
He also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin.
Police acted on tip-off
Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney said that police received intelligence that Gibson was travelling from Glasgow to Dundee with a quantity of drugs.
“Officers took up a static point on the A90, close to Kinfauns,” he said. “About an hour later, they observed the accused’s vehicle and pulled him over.”
Gibson told police: “You know what I’ve got. It’s in my right pocket.”
Officers searched him and found a wrap containing 117g of crack cocaine, with a potential street value of £17,020.
Another package of cocaine worth £320 was found in the car.
Officers also recovered nearly £500 in cash and Gibson’s mobile phone.
“The phone was later interrogated by the cyber-crime unit,” Mr Sweeney told the court.
“There were text messages relating to the sale and supply of cocaine.”
Gibson appeared in court the following day and was released on bail.
Second police raid
In early 2021, police got a tip-off that Gibson was dealing drugs at a property in Dundee.
“As a result, a search warrant was granted,” said Mr Sweeney.
“At around 8am on February 5, officers went to Landsdowne Court, Dundee, and the accused was found in the ground floor foyer.
“He was searched under the misuse of drugs act and found to have a set of keys and a wrap containing white powder in his right trouser pocket.”
The fiscal depute said the substance – later analysed as crack cocaine – had a potential street value of £17,880.
About £3,000 worth of heroin was also recovered. The packages contained traces of Gibson’s DNA, the court heard.
Mr Sweeney said: “The accused was arrested and made no reply.”
Drug barons ‘not best pleased’
Solicitor Ross Bennet, defending, told the court: “Although he has a fair list of previous convictions, he does not have one single conviction for possession.”
He said: “After being caught the first time, the police told him that they had got information from Glasgow that he was en route to Dundee.
“The people who were much higher up the chain were not best pleased about what happened.
“They got in touch with him and told them he had to pay off what was lost, as it were.
“He was put in a very difficult situation,” said Mr Bennet. “Stupidly, he did what he did.
“He knows that he will now have to face the music.”
Sheriff William Wood deferred sentenced until May 11.
“I take account these are your first convictions in relation to the misuse of drugs act,” he told Gibson.
“It’s bad enough to deal drugs, but you did that while you are on bail. That means that the court cannot put any trust in you.”
Gibson was remanded in custody.
