Businessman jailed for five years after Operation Bearskin seizes £500k worth of cannabis in Inverness
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A businessman was jailed for five years today after a police surveillance operation recovered more than £500,000 of drugs.
A judge told Serafin Gaik that illicit drugs wreck lives and blight communities as she jailed him for his role in the cannabis supply operation.
Lady Poole also imprisoned Gaik's two co-accused when the trio appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Operation Bearskin recovered more than 30kg of cannabis during 2020 and 2021.
It involved officers keeping surveillance of potential targets over the course of several months.
During the operation police forced open a locked shed in Inverness and were met with "an overwhelming smell of cannabis".
Boxes, bags and a suitcase containing quantities of the drug were found, along with "tick lists" recording drug transactions.
High purity cocaine worth nearly £30,000 was also discovered.
Gaik traded in cars and owned a kitchen and bathroom-fitting business.
He denied being concerned in the supply of drugs but, following a trial, was found guilty of committing offences between August 26, 2020, and August 19, 2021.
The court heard that the 31-year-old, formerly of Academy Street, Inverness, continues to maintain his innocence.
Defence counsel, Frances Connor said of the first-time offender: "He is a family man with a strong work ethic.
"He tells me it is his intention to get back to his family as soon as possible and to restart his kitchen and bathroom business to support his young family."
Chmielewski, of St Fergus Drive, Inverness, admitted supplying cannabis on January 14, 2021.
After he was stopped at a lay-by off the A9 at Moy, the police found 10kg of herbal cannabis in vacuum bags within the cab of his HGV.
The 34-year-old lorry driver told officers: "What can I say. I just transport it."
Chmielewski was jailed for two years.
MacLeod, of Suilven Way, Inverness, admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class B drug between November 24, 2020 and January 22 the following year.
He was found with 2kg of cannabis in a bag when stopped.
Lorenzo Alonzi, counsel for MacLeod, urged the court to deal with his client through a non-custodial sentence.
The lawyer stated the 21-year-old had moved away from using the drug and has the prospect of employment.
MacLeod was jailed for 27 months.
