Man jailed for smuggling £84,000 worth of ecstasy hidden in cat food

Toby Bishop was jailed at the High Court in Ediburgh

A man who tried to smuggle over £84,000 of ecstasy into Scotland hidden in cat food has been jailed for more than four years.

Toby Bishop, 21, was caught after a UK Border Force worker examined a parcel sent from Germany to his home in Angus.

Police raided the Glenogil house and found a cannabis cultivation with a street value of £11,250. His phone messages also indicated drug dealing.

Bishop admitted being involved in the supply of ecstasy and cannabis.

The court heard the parcel, which was declared as Adult Brakes cat food, was intercepted at Coventry's International Postal Hub in July last year.

When the parcel was examined it revealed 8,400 ecstasy tablets.

Judge Lord Braid sentenced Bishop to four years and two months in prison, telling him: "A significant custodial sentence is the only sentence available to the court."

Cannabis plants were also discovered when Bishop's home was raided

The court heard previously that Bishop lived with his parents at the time of the offence.

Prosecutor David Dickson said police were allowed entry to the house by Bishop's father.

He said: "The accused was seen to emerge from the area of the garage.

"Toby Bishop began to act erratically, refusing to comply with the officers requests and kept trying to lead them away from the garden and garage areas."

Officers searched Bishop's bedroom and found a number of small sealed bags.

Mr Dickson said: "The accused then said 'cannabis is in there and there is a lot more in the garage. I've been growing it.'"

Abused cannabis

Messages offering drugs for sale were subsequently recovered from Bishop's phone, showing his nickname was "Maverick the Speedy".

Mr Dickson said: "Documents were recovered from the phone including price lists for controlled drugs, information on poly tunnel construction, how to grow cannabis and one showing the effects of ecstasy."

Defence solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin said that Bishop had abused cannabis from a young age.

He said that Bishop had moved onto harder drugs like ecstasy and LSD.

The court heard that he was offered £100 by a dealer to take delivery of a package and knew that it was ecstasy but not the amount or the value.

He added: "There was a vulnerability on Bishop's part which was used by others involved in the drugs trade."