A man caught with £123k worth of cannabis at Glasgow Airport told cops he had been asked to “carry the goods.”
Tianjin Zhang, appeared in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court from custody having been arrested at Glasgow Airport on May 5.
The 59-year-old was caught with 28kg of cannabis after he approached a Border Force officer.
Officers searched Zhang’s suitcase and found cannabis valued at £123,300.
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Procurator fiscal depute, Declan O’Connor told Paisley Sheriff Court: “Around 1.30pm on May 5, the witness Brown was working within her capacity as a Border Force officer when she was approached by the accused.
“The accused had been on a flight from Bangkok to Glasgow, via Dubai.
“The witness Brown thereafter referred the accused to her colleague the witness McCafferty, who stopped the accused.
“The accused confirmed the two suitcases in his possession were his own.
“The witnesses McCafferty and Brown thereafter instructed the accused to place his luggage into the X-Ray where they observed what appeared to be organic material.
“The witness McCafferty in the presence of the witness Brown arrested the accused on suspicion of importation of cannabis.
“He intimated that he understood and elected to make no reply.
“McCafferty and Brown thereafter conducted a search of the accused's suitcase where they recovered seven black vacuum sealed packages of herbal material, which contained a total of 56 packages, each weighing around 500g.
“The total weight being 28kg, valued at £123,200.
“The green herbal material later tested positive for cannabis.
“The accused was conveyed to Govan police station.”
Court heard later that day via a telephone mandarin interpreter, Zhang was cautioned and charged replying: “I was asked to carry the goods with me.”
Defence agent Mark Johnstone told the court Zhang is “realistic about the disposal.”
Mr Johnstone asked for reports to be prepared and to reserve mitigation.
No motion for bail was made.
Sheriff Bruce Erroch KC adjourned sentencing for a justice social work report to be prepared.
Zhang was remanded in custody and will return to court for sentencing on August 6.
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