A PEST controller who was snared during a £500,000 cannabis raid has been jailed for more than three years.

Thomas Dymond was held after police swooped at an industrial unit in North Street, Paisley, in September last year.

The 46-year-old had agreed to ferry the large haul of drugs, despite being a carer for his sick child.

Dymond admitted his guilt at the High Court in Glasgow today, pleading guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

Lord Beckett locked him up for three years and two months.

Prosecutor Shanti Maguire said Dymond, of Thornliebank, East Renfrewshire, had been watched during a police drugs probe.

He was later clocked in a hired Ford Transit van making “several loadings” of boxes at the unit.

Dymond went on to meet another individual. A number of laundry bags were put into this person's car.

Police then made their move and £332,640 of cannabis was found at the unit.

A further £163,000 of the drug was discovered in the bags in the other individual's vehicle.

Mark Moir, defending, said Dymond “deeply regretted his involvement to courier” the illegal consignment.

The advocate added: “He rented the van partly to use for his pest control business but also in the knowledge that he would be transporting this substantial amount of cannabis.”

Mr Moir added that Dymond had been “approached” and offered money to ferry the drugs.

Lord Beckett reduced the jail term from four-and-a-half years due to the guilty plea.