The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Drug courier’ s cash seized
Adrug courier caught driving through Fife with more than five kilos of cannabis has had more than £5,000 seized by the Crown.
Kieran Campbell previously admitted to being concerned in the supply of the Class B drug, midway through a trial.
Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane jailed Campbell for 27 months.
On Tuesday, a confiscation hearing took place at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and a four-figure sum was recovered by authorities.
The court heard just under £5,000 was found in the HMP Perth inmate’s Glenrothes home when police raided it after arresting him.
More cash which was in Campbell’s possession and property was also seized.
He had claimed £200 of the money was his son’s and just over £90 was cash he had which was unrelated to crime.
However, Sheriff Alastair Brown made a confiscation order for the sum of £50,077.71 .
The Crown already has access to the cash found at Campbell’s home and he has four weeks to pay the remainder.
If he does not, he could have additional prison time added to his sentence.
The court heard the 41-year-old had been under police surveillance for several weeks after investigators received a tipoff about drugs being transported to Fife from the central belt.
Officers uncovered a “bag for life” packed with more than 5kg of cannabis in Campbell’s vehicle.
The trial heard traffic constable Callum Munro was stationed on a flyover just south of the Queensferry Crossing on July 28 last year, to watch out for Campbell’s Volvo.
Campbell had been using a different vehicle when police had been watching him, the court was told.
PC Munro later caught up with officers who had pulled over Campbell on Backmarch Road, Rosyth, and were checking his insurance documents.
However, Campbell indicated there was “hash” behind the driver’s seat.
Police found the bag full of a packaged brown substance.
They retrieved packages, weighing 5.6kg, which tested positive for cannabis which was valued at between £15,000 and £28,800.
Solicitor Kerr Sneddon said: “He was effectively acting as a courier on one day.
“I could probably get an expert report taking the value down.
“He’s a model prisoner. He doesn’t cause anyone any problems.
“He has intimated that he’s going to move away from the area.
“There’s no escaping his analogous conviction or what he’s been caught with.
“I’m going to submit that it’s a lesser role.”
Campbell has a previous conviction for drugs offences.
Sheriff McFarlane said: “I have no difficulty accepting the evidence of the officers.
“In my view, PC Munro had all the relevant intelligence he needed and he conducted the search appropriately.
“Mr Campbell, you were involved in supplying a controlled drug.
“Moving it around the country, in my view is not an insignificant role.”