Man caught with £1.5m of cocaine in M74 swoop

A drugs courier was caught on the M74 motorway with more than £1.5m worth of cocaine in the boot of his car, a court has heard.

Adam Lyttel, 27, from East Kilbride, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis between November and December last year.

The High Court in Glasgow heard police swooped on his car after a tip-off and found blocks of cocaine in a rucksack.

Judge Lord Brailsford deferred sentence until next month.

Advocate depute Sheena Fraser, prosecuting, told the court that Lyttel was stopped by police on 11 December last year.

His car was searched and three blocks of cocaine were found in a rucksack in the boot, along with small amounts of the drug behind the driver's visor.

Ms Fraser said: "Mr Lyttel was interviewed and said he had travelled down to Sandbach Services near to Preston where he met a man from whom he obtained the cocaine.

"He claimed he had paid the man £6,000 as a delivery charge and that he had made previous trips being paid £2,000 a time for each trip."

The court was told that Lyttel said his job in addition to picking up and delivering the drugs consisted of storing large amounts of cocaine and cannabis in a rented industrial unit.

Ms Fraser added: "He accepted that his role in the operation was as a courier, collector of drug debts and distribution of drugs to dealers.

"He said he was working for two men, but declined to name them."

Lyttel's DNA was recovered from the seal area of the cocaine bags.

The court was told that the three blocks of cocaine had a potential street value of £1,680,000.