Jail sentence looms for woman caught smuggling heroin

The latest Merseyside heroin smuggler to be caught was warned she could be facing prison when she appeared at Lerwick Sheriff Court this week after admitting concealing £21,000-worth of the drug.

Virginia Creggy, 21, whose address was given as Cornton Vale Prison, was caught by police as she took a taxi from Sumburgh Airport to North Roe.

Police officers were acting on intelligence when they stopped her. She initially provided them with a false ID, and was subsequently detained.

Procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie said it was clear she was “internally concealing packages”.

She was taken to hospital and found to have hidden 160.8 grammes of diamorphine in ready-prepared wraps.

In court on Wednesday she admitted supplying heroin on 7th April.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said Creggy had a history of offending, although there was nothing “at this level” on her record.

Sheriff Graeme Napier said he had “little sympathy” for her, especially as she had been “happy to get other people involved in heroin” to sort out her own problems.

Calling for reports, he returned her to custody – where she has been since the offence took place – until 6th July.

Meanwhile a woman used as a “decoy” to help deflect police attention away from prying police eyes seeking out smugglers from Merseyside was found with a knife in her bag.

Police expected Sonia Quine, 31, of Kirbie in Liverpool, to be carrying illicit drugs when they stopped her as she stepped off the NorthLink ferry from Aberdeen on 2nd April.

They had been acting on intelligence, but could find no sign of any drugs or drug parephenalia. They did, however, discover a three-and-half-inch knife in her bag.

The court heard Quine slept with the knife under her pillow, as she felt safer that way.

She had mental health issues, and was simply being used as “a decoy” in being sent up here.

Sheriff Napier ordered the knife be forfeited, but he did not impose any further penalty.