Drunken smuggler jailed

The South African has been convicted of smuggling cannabis

A South African smuggler who tried to bring £44,000 worth of cannabis into Scotland has been jailed for five years.

Gerhardus Bester, 33, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Edinburgh to trying to smuggle more than 29kg of the drug into Scotland last September.

The court heard how Mr Bester's failed attempt began with him almost being barred from the Johannesburg flight for being drunk.

At Edinburgh Airport he then abandoned his suitcase and tried to escape on foot after being approached by suspicious customs officers.

Bester was sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh

Prosecuting Advocate depute Jamie Gilchrist said Bester had flown from Johannesburg via Heathrow.

He said customs officers were monitoring passengers who had entered the UK through Heathrow.

He told the court that they became suspicious at Edinburgh Airport when they saw Bester fumbling with the lock on his case.

When they cornered the South African he threw away the keys to his suitcase and tried run away.

Defending solicitor advocate Richard Goddard said Bester had been forced into smuggling by a Nigerian loneshark who had threatened his girlfriend and daughter.

Minimum sentence

He said Bester, who can barely read or write, could not find work in South Africa and was making a living through looking for scrap metal.

Mr Goddard told the court that Bester owed money to the loan shark and his girlfriend was suffering from cancer.

He said the lives of Bester's girlfriend and daughter were under threat if he did not agree to carry the suitcase to Scotland.

He said this was the reason that Bester got himself into such a drunken state at Johannesburg Airport.

Sentencing Bester, Lady Paton said she was taking into account everything said on his behalf but five years was the minimum sentence she could impose.