In another, a Liverpool man admitted bringing heroin and cocaine to Dundee. He and a woman will be sentenced later.

Martin Edward James (27), from the Oldham area, admitted that between November 1 and January 20, at various locations throughout the UK and at Victoria Street, Dundee, he was concerned in the supply of heroin.

Solicitor Gillian Allardice said James appreciated a custodial sentence was inevitable.

He had no record and became involved because he saw it as an opportunity for “quick money” as he was out of work at the time.

Sheriff Davidson noted James had been found in possession of heroin with a value of almost £50,000.

The sheriff said he would have been considered ideal by the professional criminals using him to import heroin, “to feed the habits of addicts in this part of the world”.

He had also admitted doing this on a fairly regular basis.

The sheriff said he thought long and hard deciding if his powers were sufficient before coming to the conclusion that he could deal with it without referral to the High Court.

He told James, “I hope this sentence sends out a message to anyone else in your neck of the woods who might be tempted to pick up where you left off.”

In a separate case, the sheriff court heard details of how illicit drugs brought to the city from Liverpool were seized by police.

Paul Michael Mount (25), Dodds Lane, Liverpool, admitted that on March 18, on the A90, he was concerned in the supply of heroin. He further admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine at Ashmore Street on March 12.

Tracy Saez (38), c/o Cornton Vale, admitted that on March 18 and 19, on the A90 and at the cells area at Dundee Sheriff Court, she was concerned in the supply of heroin.

Depute Fiscal Nicola Ross said police had received information that Mount was concerned in transporting and distributing heroin in Dundee, bringing it from Liverpool.

A surveillance operation was set up and on March 17 information was received Mount was travelling to Dundee with a large quantity of heroin.

Around 4pm on March 18, his car was stopped as it approached the Swallow roundabout. Mount was in the rear passenger seat and threw away two bags.

They contained 13.342gms of heroin worth £1334. He also had a small £20 packet of heroin on him.

Saez was also in the back of the car and a package containing 40.52gms of heroin, worth £4050, was recovered from her bra.

She also had three further packages totalling 107.34gms, with an illicit value of £10,730. Some of the packages were concealed internally.

Saez told police she had been asked to make a drug run the previous day.

She met other people in a pub in Glasgow where they were given packages of heroin and told to “bank” them.

Mount was interviewed but refused to answer any questions.

The next morning, Saez was moved from the police cells to the sheriff court cells and in the course of another search 34.8gms of heroin was found. This was worth £3480.

Mrs Ross said that as regards to Mount, observation had been kept on a house in Ashmore Street and cocaine worth £11,950 had been retrieved. Mount’s fingerprint was on the wrapper.

Both accused were remanded in custody for reports.