A LORRY driver who was caught transporting a huge haul of high-purity cocaine worth more than £3million has been handed a five-year prison sentence.

Elderslie man Robert Stewart was seen stowing away two suitcases containing 65kg of the Class A drug in the cab of his vehicle in London before driving to Scotland.

Police who were tracking his journey stopped the lorry and recovered the cocaine after he pulled into Hamilton Services, in Lanarkshire.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that, if the drugs were bulked out with adulterants to produce cocaine with current street level purity of 30 per cent, more than 167kg would be produced, worth in excess of £3.3m.

Stewart, also known as Clifford, was alone in the vehicle when it was stopped on May 28 last year.

His DNA was found on the handles and zips of the suitcases and his fingerprints were discovered on one of the blocks of cocaine.

Stewart, 54, made no reply when arrested but officers later searched his home in Thornhill Avenue.

He admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine on May 27 and 28 and returned to court today for sentencing.

Stewart was told by judge Lady Poole that he would have faced seven and a half years behind bars if it hadn't been for his early guilty plea.

She added: "Drug trafficking wrecks lives and blights communities where drugs take hold. Drugs cause misery and deprivation in society.

"You voluntarily involved yourself in the supply of drugs. You were not the directing mind of this operation but you were an essential link in the chain of supply."

The court heard that Stewart, who is a grandfather, was to be paid £8,000 for transporting the drugs.

It was claimed he was "duped" over the transaction and believed he had been sent to collect tobacco.

Defence solicitor advocate Shahid Latif said: "At the age of 54, he looks now to the rear view mirror of his life and it is clear the events of May 27 and May 28 were precipitated by an error of judgement that has been catastrophic for Mr Stewart.

"In my submission, it is fair to say he was duped into committing this offence. His understanding was he had been sent to collect tobacco and possibly money."

Mr Latif added it was during the course of the journey to Scotland that Stewart came to realise what was in the suitcases.

He told the court: "He realises he made a mistake and, for that mistake, he now has to pay the price."

Stewart's arrest took place during Operation Venetic, hailed by police as the most significant UK crackdown on serious and organised crime.

It stemmed from the takedown of Encrochat – an encrypted communication service used almost exclusively by criminals.

The Crown has raised proceedings to claw back any crime profits from Stewart.