Courier had drugs worth over £½m

A Coatbridge drugs courier was caught red- handed with £ 625,000 of cocaine and cannabis following an anonymous tip-off, a court has heard.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Gerrard Molloy, 44, admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis at the A74 (M) at Abington on December 29 last year, and to being concerned in the supply of cocaine at his home on the same date.

Both offences were aggravated by a connection to serious organised crime.

Prosecutor Alan Nicol said: “Mr Molloy was operating as a drugs courier for organised crime.”

The court was told that police received information that Molloy, who has six nonanalagous convictions, was driving along the M74 in a van with a consignment of drugs.

He was stopped at Abingdon and two large cardboard boxes containing cannabis were found.

Mr Nicol said that the street value of the cannabis was £325,000.

A search of Molloy’s Albion Street home uncovered two sets of scales, a hydraulic press and six packets of cocaine with a maximum street value of £300,000.

Judge Lady Scott deferred sentence on Molloy until next month at the High Court in Edinburgh and continued his bail.

Defence counsel George Gebbie will give his plea in mitigation then.