An engineering student from Dundee who worked as a transatlantic drug dealer has been spared a prison sentence.
Chishimba Chiti was involved in the onward supply of cannabis from Tayside to as far afield as Arizona, between February 2021 and April 2022.
The 26-year-old was snared after Border Force agents in Coventry intercepted a parcel destined for Byron Street, where Chiti had been staying.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how, after opening the parcel, five vacuum-sealed bags were found, containing 2.2kg of herbal matter.
Police were granted a search warrant for the Byron Street address and prosecutor Kate Scarborough explained: “Police recovered a number of items, including 23 individual sticky labels with different strains of cannabis.
“Tube packaging for storing quantities for the onward supply of cannabis were also found.
“A number of postal addresses were discovered.”
Phone evidence
The fiscal said: “The accused returned home while officers were conducting the search and two mobile phones were seized from his possession.”
A “significant” number of messages were discovered, including advising someone in Arizona how to correctly package and vacuum seal cannabis.
Messages also highlighted arrangements for the collection of the packages, as well as references to various locations across the UK.
Specialist officers estimated the potential street value of the cannabis seized was £17,000.
Chiti, now of Blairgowrie, previously pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis at addresses in Dundee, Broughty Ferry, Portobello and Tuscon, Arizona.
Sentencing
Defence solicitor Billy Watt said Chiti had originally “supplied his own indulgences” with cannabis but this later “spiralled out of control”.
He said: “He’s a young man who at one stage had a bright future.
“He was studying civil engineering at university and hopes to take that up again.
“He has taken steps to address his drug use and is now living with his mother in Blairgowrie.
“It is not lost on Mr Chiti the severity of this and appreciates the deep water that he’s in.”
Sheriff Paul Brown explained, given the early guilty plea and the fact he was under 25 at the time, Chiti would have been facing a prison sentence of less than 12 months.
The sheriff would have to state why no other alternative was appropriate due to the Scottish Sentencing Council guidelines on the presumption against short prison sentences.
Sheriff Brown followed the recommendations in the social work report prepared on Chiti, imposing two years of supervision.
As an alternative to custody, he is now subject to a restriction of liberty order between 7pm and 7am for the next year.
He must also undertake addiction counselling as directed.
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