Heroin with £1.6m street value found in Lego box, court told

A MAN was caught with heroin with a street value of £1.6 million during an undercover operation by the major crime and terrorism unit, a court has heard.

Unemployed Scott Smith, 24, admitted at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday that he had been concerned in the supply of heroin on 5 March, but claimed he was not a major player.

Prosecutor Jock Thomson, QC, said part of the heroin haul was found hidden inside a box containing pieces of Lego, along with 15,800 in cash.

Detectives uncovered a further 23,500 in notes and 22kg of heroin in a locked bedroom cupboard in the home of the parents of Smith's girlfriend, in Gelston Street, Glasgow.

The court was told that a key to the cupboard was found in Smith's possession.

Mr Thomson said officers of the major crime and terrorism investigation unit spent nine days between 19 February and 5 March in a surveillance operation at Rigby Court, Carntyne, where Smith's father had a flat.

"At 6:16pm Scott Smith was seen to enter the common entrance to the block of flats. Four minutes later he left in possession of a large black holdall, which appeared bulky and heavy."

He drove it to Gelston Street and left the house there without the holdall, and was detained, the court heard.

In a locked cupboard police found the holdall containing 40 taped half-kilogram packages of heroin, which if broken down into street deals would fetch 1.6m, Mr Thomson said.

Other bags containing smaller amounts were also found, with a set of digital scales and a knife and spoon showing traces of heroin.

The court heard that Smith's DNA was found on two bags in the locked cupboard and his fingerprints on the outside of the Asda carrier bag within the Lego container.

Judge Lord Woolman deferred sentence on Smith, of Gantock Crescent, Cranhill, Glasgow, until next month.