A DRUG dealer who was caught with a cannabis farm worth over £70,000 has been ordered to pay a £78,000 confiscation order.
Graeme White, 34, from Innerleithen in the boarders was ordered to pay the confiscation order at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today.
The offence occurred on 20 May 2012 when police were informed of a strong smell of cannabis within a communal stairwell in Bridgegate Court, Peebles.
Police said the smell was strongest outside the door of Mr White and when officers knocked the accused answered and granted them permission to enter.
Police then discovered a room full of cannabis plants with lighting and a ventilation system in place.
The estimated value of the cultivation was assessed to be between £20,000 and £70,000. Herbal cannabis was also recovered with a street value of £4,000 to £14,000.
In April this year he was sentenced to a 4-month Restriction of Liberty Order, a 200-hour Community Payback Order and 2 years on supervision after pleading guilty.
Speaking after the conclusion of the case, Lindsey Miller, Procurator Fiscal for Organised Crime and Counter-Terrorism, said: “Thanks to the vigilance of the Police officers, a cannabis farm was uncovered that almost filled the premises in which it was constructed and consisted of more than 80 plants.
“Police and prosecutors have now dismantled the farm, brought Graeme White to justice and, after a thorough assessment of his financial records, secured the confiscation of £78,000 of criminal profit.
“The funds recovered will be re-invested in the community by Scottish Ministers, through the CashBack for Communities programme.”
