Drugs worth over £50,000 hidden in van 'heading for Inverness Tescos'

A MAN facing allegations that he acted as drugs courier transporting cannabis and amphetamine worth as much as £73,000 from London to Inverness has claimed he knew nothing about the drugs stashed away in a secret compartment in the Volkswagen van he was driving.

Frank Cambridge (51), giving evidence at his trial today told a jury he had met with acquaintances in a London pub and met a man, Rod Grant, who lived in Inverness, known to him and his friends as “Car Boot Ron”.

He said he was offered £200 to drive the van to Inverness where he was to meet up with Mr Grant at a local Tesco store.

But Cambridge was stopped by police at Ralia on the A9 and the haul of cannabis resin and amphetamine, which a police drugs expert said was worth between £50,000 and £73,000 on the street, was discovered in hidden compartments below the floor of the van behind the seats.

Cambridge (51) of Ranelagh Road, Wood Green, London, denies being involved in the supply of cannabis resin and amphetamine, both Class B drugs, on the A9 on February 8, 2012, and possession of an offensive weapon, a baseball bat.

The trial had already heard from traffic police how they were tasked to stop the VW Caddy Van on its journey north. They followed it from Crubenmore and stopped it at Ralia.

Sgt Nial Maclean (41), a police dog instructor, told the jury he had been sent to Aviemore police station to carry out a search on the van.

He said his border collie’s attention was drawn to an area behind the passenger and driver’s seats of the vehicle. On closer inspection two hidden compartments were discovered welded below the load space of the vehicle.

He said the concealed compartments were identical - one contained bars of cannabis and the other a white power which he suspected was a controlled drug.

Detective Constable Michael Don (44) from the Northern Constabulary drug squad told the jury he had never seen such a sophisticated method of concealment in his 16 years as a drugs enforcement officer.

“Someone has gone to great lengths to modify the vehicle to accommodate the drugs. As far as Inverness is concerned it is the most sophisticated I’ve seen.”

DC Don said drivers of vehicles carrying such quantities of drugs ‘predominantly’ knew the drugs were there. But when asked by defence solicitor Neil Wilson if someone could be paid to transfer the van without knowing about the compartments he replied: “That’s conceivable. Yes.”

Cambridge said he had worked before as a driver for Tesco and as recovery driver. But in February of last year he was caring for his mother.

“I was to meet him (Mr Grant) at Tesco. He was going to give me £200 and a train ticket back to London.”

Asked by his solicitor Neil Wilson why he was being asked to drive the vehicle north, Cambridge said Mr Grant had his own vehicle and the person who was to drive the van north had “let him down”.

“Were you aware there were any drugs in the van?” asked Mr Wilson.

“No,” replied Cambridge.

Depute fiscal Karen Smith asked if he did not think there was anything suspicious at all about what he was being asked to do. He said he didn’t.

She asked him why Mr Grant was not present to give evidence on his behalf or any of the six witnesses he claimed were in the pub with him that night.

Cambridge said he had never been able to trace Mr Grant since and the other people were working. ”It’s nothing to do with them. It’s to do with me,” he said.

Mrs Smith suggested Ron Grant didn’t exist and Cambridge had made him up and he knew what he was doing and what was in the vehicle before he made the journey to Scotland.

The jury will consider its verdict tomorrow.