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Former Moray man stopped with £50,000 cannabis in car


By Alistair Whitfield

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A former Forres man was a passenger in a car which was found by police to be carrying up to £50,000 of cannabis.

Inverness Sheriff Court. Picture: Gary Anthony.
Inverness Sheriff Court. Picture: Gary Anthony.

Mohamed Ahmed admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs at Inverness Sheriff Court earlier today.

Ahmed, who now lives at Ladies Walk, Inverness, was stopped by police during July 29 on the A9 at Balavil.

A large bag containing almost 3kg of cannabis was found in the boot.

The driver was not named in court.

Ahmed's co-accused was Patrick Boyland who was the driver of another car subsequently stopped on the A9 near Tomatin on September 30.

Fiscal depute Martina Eastwood said: "When it was searched, a green rucksack containing almost a kilo of herbal cannabis was found, as well as £450 in cash and a phone.

"In the boot a further 1.5kg was discovered in another bag."

Ms Eastwood added that Boyland, of Dell Road, Inverness, told police he had paid £10,000 for the drugs.

His intention was to sell them over a two or three week period.

Boyland also claimed he was doing it to pay £50,000 for an eye operation for his son.

Defence solicitor Shahid Latif said that Boyland (37) had "a powerful reason which led him to make a gross error of judgment.

"But it was an act of desperation by a father to save his child's eyesight."

Boyland was not present when his guilty plea to drugs supply was tendered by Mr Latif.

Sentence was deferred on both men until November 18 for a background report and restriction of liberty assessment.

Boyland's bail was continued while Ahmed was remanded in custody.

After that hearing, Ahmed then pleaded guilty to separate charges including maliciously breaking the windows of a relative's home in Forres with a rock on November 12 last year.

Ahmed also admitted a breach of bail and threatening or abusive racist behaviour towards police when he was arrested.

Ms Eastwood said: "He made threats to shoot an officer and that he would get the Taliban to bomb their police station.

"He repeatedly banged his head on the walls of a police van, calling one officer 'a white boy' and a 'white bastard'.

"He threatened to slit their throats and get his 'Muslim brothers' to conduct a Jihad against the police and bomb a police station.

"Officers believed he was under the influence of drugs."

Sentence on these offences was also deferred until November 18.


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