Former soldier pleads guilty after being caught with £220k drug haul

A FORMER soldier was caught with cocaine with a street value of £220,000 after a police patrol spotted him driving on the city bypass, a court heard.

Paul Main, 30, was at the wheel of a Honda Civic when officers in a car behind him noticed the registration number.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC told the High Court in Edinburgh: "The officers were aware of recent intelligence indicating the vehicle may have controlled drugs within."

The car was pulled over at a lay-by on July 16 last year and almost four kilos of the class A drug and mobile phones were found in a bag in the front passenger footwell.

Fingerprints from Main, of Burnside, Prestonpans, in East Lothian, were found on the outside of the bag.

Main made "no comment" answers after being questioned by police.

Mr Prentice said the Crown accepted that Main was acting as a courier for the eight blocks of cocaine, which were of between 11 and 16 per cent purity.

Main admitted being concerned in the supply of the drug, when he appeared in court yesterday. Defence solicitor advocate John Scott said: "He is obviously aware he is facing a custodial sentence."

Lord Tyre deferred sentence on Main for a background report.