Dark web dealer had biggest drugs stash UK cops have ever found in a house

A drug trafficker caught with the largest residential haul of MDMA, LSD, cannabis and crystal meth that cops have ever seen has been jailed for more than 10 years.

Patrick Scotland was rumbled after Border Force officers intercepted packages addressed to him from the Netherlands that contained 6kg of ecstasy hidden inside children’s toys.

Council officials carrying out routine safety checks in February this year then discovered a large quantity of suspected Class A drugs at his home in West London.

Patrick Scotland has pleaded guilty at Isleworth Crown Court to a number of drug charges after large quantities of MDMA was found hidden in children's toys (PA)

A police raid revealed bags and tubs of MDMA, cocaine, 185,000 ecstasy pills, 8kg of cannabis resin, drug paraphernalia and over 10,000 LSD tablets.

It is believed to be the largest residential seizure in the UK to date with a street value of around £2.2m. 

Patrick Scotland was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to several drug charges.

Judge Karen Holt said: "One cannot ignore that these were sizeable quantities of dangerous drugs which cause misery and destruction."

Alex Agbamu, prosecuting, told the court Scotland was involved in drug trafficking to a "significant and serious level".

Officers from the Metropolitan Police discovered the huge haul of drugs at Scotland's flat (PA)

He said the defendant was "knowingly concerned with how the drug was coming into the country".

Scotland admitted three counts of possession with intent to supply a Class A drug (MDMA, LSD, methylamphetamine) and two charges of possession with intent to supply a Class B drug (ketamine, cannabis resin), according to a police spokesman.

Scotland, who was sentenced via video link from Wandsworth Prison, also admitted being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class A drug, and to the possession of a weapon for the discharge of a noxious liquid/gas/electrical incapacitation device.

Scotland was first rumbled by Border Force officers who intercepted drug-filled packages (PA)

The seizure is thought to be the first of its kind in helping dismantle a dark web drugs site in the UK, as items that were advertised online were the same as those found at Scotland's address.

Unique motifs stamped on the pills linked them back to Scotland.

A number of WhatsApp messages were also found suggesting the defendant had "hands on" involvement as a "middle man".

Paul Raudnitz QC, defending, told the court Scotland "did not play a leading role" and "had no idea of the volume or scale of the operation".

He said Scotland "played no role in sourcing and manufacturing any of the drugs" and that the defendant's actions "were out of character", noting he had "no drugs offences in the past seven years".