Drugs dealer who dressed as carer to baffle police avoids jail sentence

A man has been allowed to walk free despite admitting to being involved in a crack cocaine operation that saw drug dealers dress up as carers in an effort to avoid detection by police.

Alliohe Booalew was arrested as part of a police sting where more than £5,000 worth of the class A drug was discovered in a blue bag at a property in Aberdeen.

Booalew, 46, was later found in possession of nine mobile phones.

Appearing in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court Booalew pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine at several locations across the Granite City.

Booalew’s co-accused, Agnes Chukwudi, was sentenced in January and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Police sources say that the pair dressed as carers in the community to carry out their illegal activity and avoid suspicion in the west end of Aberdeen.

They were unsuccessful, however, and the pair were arrested as part of a police investigation into drug gangs operating in the area.

Detective Sergeant Sam Harris of North East Police CID said: “Drugs have no place in our local communities.

“Tackling the supply and distribution of controlled drugs continues to be a priority for North East Division and we will seek every opportunity to disrupt and prosecute those that are involved.”

Sentencing Booalew, Sheriff Christine McCrossan told the court: “What has happened here is that Mr Booalew has been in custody in relation to this matter for a period of almost 16 months.”

She said Booalew’s previous drug possession conviction was “a very considerable time ago” and that an appropriate disposal would have been around two years in prison.

However, she concluded that he had already spent a significant amount of time on remand, stating that “it would not be appropriate for the court to impose any further custody” upon him.

The Sheriff made Booalew, of Anderson Drive, Aberdeen, subject to a community payback order with supervision for 18 months.

Alliohe Booalew.