A man who tried to smuggle £60,000 worth of heroin and crack cocaine to 'pay off a drug debt' has been jailed.
Paul Green, 38, was found with the drugs at Wigan North Western railway station on January 13.
He has now been jailed for three years and four months after pleading guilty to two counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
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On the morning of his arrest, Green had brought a train ticket to Aberdeen from Liverpool Lime Street station, prosecution barrister Roger Brown told Bolton Crown Court.
Due to not wearing a mask and Scotland being off-limits due to coronavirus restrictions, Green caught the attention of two police officers at the station.
He was followed to Wigan North Western but when he was asked to show his ticket he became 'furtive' and 'abusive', Mr Brown said.
Police then searched his holdall and found two mobile phones, along with a 'dozen' packets of crack cocaine and heroin.
There were 101.64 grams of crack and 544 grams of heroin - with an estimated street value of around £60,000.
Green, of Prince Albert Mews, Liverpool, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity, but on the basis that he was just acting as a courier and did not know the contents of the holdall.
Defending, Damian Zelazowski described the guilty plea as Green's 'strongest mitigation'.
He added: "He had fallen into debt and that debt was called in.
"He was told that he would be given something and given instructions to travel to Aberdeen. He wasn't told what it was or how much there was, it was wrapped up in a towel."
Mr Zelazowksi explained that a threat had been made to Green's mother, which is why he agreed to smuggle the drugs.
He added: "He would have taken a kicking but when the threat was made against his mum, he couldn't allow that to happen."
Judge John Potter said that Green had an 'unenviable antecedent history' of 19 convictions for 44 offences.
Jailing Green for three years and four months, Judge Potter added: "You were performing a particular role in the supply of Class A drugs along county lines to another part of the UK.
"You had been entrusted as a courier with a significant and valuable consignment of drugs, although I accept that you did not know exactly what the holdall contained."
