A grandfather who was caught adulterating cocaine in a kitchen drug factory made more than £620,000 from dealing the drug, prosecutors claim.
Dean Moir was using his joinery business as cover to make more than £100,000 per year from preparing and dealing cocaine around Perthshire.
The Crown have launched a Proceeds of Crime action against Moir in a bid to reclaim the money they believe he earned from the illicit trade.
In the action at Perth Sheriff Court, prosecutors allege Moir profited by £620,371 in just six years.
They are immediately claiming the return of £372,221 which they believe is “recoverable” from Moir’s estate, which is understood to include a number of properties.
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said it was a “complex” matter which involved “properties in his name which were purchased prior to 2000.”
Sheriff William Wood continued the case for two months to allow for a forensic accountancy report to be produced.
Moir is serving three years in jail which was imposed earlier this year when he admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
The court heard how the self-employed joiner threw a frying pan of cocaine into a sink when police raided his drugs factory.
Moir and his sidekick Paul Hannigan were caught red-handed cutting the Class A drug with caffeine and other substances to maximise their profits.
The raid was carried out at the home of Hannigan and he was also jailed for three years when the pair admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
Sheriff William Wood said: “Drugs are a scourge on our society. They break up families and break up homes and they cause substantial misery.
“You have both been involved in a relatively complicated part of the supply chain in relation to this Class A drug.
“You were both involved in cutting the drug with other substances, either to make it more useable or improve profits. It wasn’t a case of simply storing or bagging it.
“You were involved in creating the product which ends up on the streets. This is a serious charge. It is a significant and sophisticated part of the overall operation.”
Moir, 46, and fellow joiner Paul Hannigan, 48, were caught red-handed in the kitchen they were using as a drug factory when officers raided the house.
Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney told Perth Sheriff Court: “Moir was holding a frying pan full of white powder. He threw the contents into a basin of water in the sink.
“He was wearing blue latex gloves with powder residue on them. They were tested and proved negative for controlled drugs.
“Police formed the impression he had been adulterating cocaine within the kitchen prior to their arrival. The powder in the frying pan was wet.
“There was some in the sink and basin. It was a wet paste. The maximum potential illicit value was between 11,150 and 22,300 pounds.”
Moir, Almond Gardens, and Hannigan, Ballantine Place, both Perth, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine on 26 October 2018.
Mr Holmes said: “This was not a frying pan that was hot or used. It is something of a red herring. It just seems to have been used as a container.”
He told the court that Moir could earn a “substantial income” with his joinery business and was a family man with a good work ethic.
