A businessman from Perth with a side hustle in drug-dealing was snared after Border Force intercepted cannabis packages worth tens of thousands of pounds destined for Dundee.
Suhail Akhtar, director of a now-defunct retail firm, has admitted running a £42,500 drugs operation from his home in Perth.
Police swooped on the 44-year-old’s Commercial Street flat and seized bags full of cash and weed, alongside designer watches, purses, jewellery and clothes.
Perth Sheriff Court heard police first caught Akhtar red-handed in July 2020.
But he tried to keep his enterprise going by re-directing packages to a lock-up in Dundee.
Parcel intercepted
Akhtar pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of class B cannabis from July 1 2020 to March 23 2021.
Prosecutor Andrew Harding said police secured a search warrant after a kilo of cannabis was seized at Stansted Airport, addressed to Akhtar’s Perth home.
When they arrived, Akhtar let police inside and told them: “Any drugs are mine.”
Investigators found £15,250 cash in a carrier bag and another £24,200 in a hold-all at the bottom of a bedroom wardrobe.
They further discovered £8,640 worth of cannabis, including tubs labelled Zkittlez and Oreoz – names of types of the drug.
Bags, purses, jewellery, watches and clothing from big names such as Louis Vuitton, Valentino and Rolex were also found.
Mr Harding said: “The accused was arrested under suspicion he was involved in the supply of a controlled drug.”
Dundee lock-up
The court heard a parcel with 280g of suspected cannabis was seized at Stansted Airport some five months later on August 24 2020.
It was addressed to a unit at Bowbridge Works, Thistle Street, Dundee.
Two further packages with cannabis worth up to £17,600, addressed to the same lock-up, were discovered by Border Force officers on February 23 2021.
“The owner of the unit advised police that she had let the unit to the accused’s partner, as she couldn’t let it to the accused due to his credit,” the fiscal depute said.
“She understood he ran a clothing business from the unit.”
A second search warrant was executed on Akhtar’s Commerical Street property in Perth on March 23 2021.
Police found more drugs, as well as £12,050 cash behind a false panel on an oven.
Mr Harding said: “Drug-related text messages were found on devices attributable to the accused.
“These included incoming messages with references to strains of cannabis.”
He said the second search uncovered up to £16,340 worth of the class B drug.
Clothing proceeds
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, asked the court to defer sentence and consider a proof in mitigation hearing.
“It is Mr Akhtar’s position that he dabbles in selling clothes and some of the money seized would have been attributable to that business.”
Sheriff Jennifer Bain KC told Akhtar: “I am going to defer sentence for the preparation of reports.
“I am going to continue your bail but you should take that as no indication of what the potential outcome will be.”
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