A drug dealer was caged for two years after a police raid uncovered a safe containing more than £10,000 of heroin.
Steven Moffat was caught after officers with a search warrant swooped on a pair of homes in Prestonpans, East Lothian.
Cops found a key in Moffat’s home which opened a safe in the second address and heroin worth up to £10,280 was found inside.
Moffat appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday for sentencing after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.
The 28-year-old admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin in Prestonpans between February 8 and April 10 last year.
Fiscal depute Gavin Whyte said police raided Moffat’s home in the town and found a safe in a bedroom together with a bunch of keys.
Mr Whyte said one of the keys opened the safe and £3830 in cash was found inside. The rest of the property was searched and another £350 was recovered.
Officers searched a further home in Prestonpans as part of the operation, the court heard, and a second safe was located.
The prosecutor said one of the keys located earlier opened that safe and two bags of “brown powder” were within.
Mr Whyte said analysis tests found they were 61.87g and 194g bags of heroin. He added Moffat's fingerprints were found on a bag and the safe.
Defence agent Neil Martin said a relative of Moffat had earlier been jailed for drug dealing.
The solicitor said Moffat was told by criminals whose drugs had been seized due to the relative’s arrest that he had to “pay off a debt”.
Mr Martin said his client became involved in drug dealing to pay the debt and his role was a “custodian” of drugs.
He added Moffat, of Prestonpans, abused drugs but not heroin.
Mr Martin said Moffat knew he was the “author of his own downfall” but he was eager to avoid a prison sentence as he had a young child.
Sheriff Donald Corke said although a “certain amount of coercion” might have been involved, Moffat “well knew the misery and dangers that drugs cause”.
The sheriff also cited Moffat’s “extensive” criminal record before jailing him for 24 months.
