Scottish Postmen Are Being Used As Drug Mules And Gun Runners

There's a strange thrill that accompanies the arrival of a parcel - a childish glee that we're sure taps into the Christmas/Birthday excitement of tearing through tape and paper. 

An entirely different sensation appears to be on offer in Scottish packages, with new stats revealing that 493 "potentially lethal" consignments of drugs and weapons have been intercepted by Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) since October last year.

In an effort to clamp down on illegal products sold and shipped through the "dark web", the NCA has been monitoring the Scottish postal service for suspicious packages. Due to the vast number of items sent on a daily basis, criminals are resorting to the rather orthodox service as many shipments will avoid detection.

Items posted by drug groups have included 27,730g of cannabis, 2,034g of cocaine, three grammes of crack cocaine and 3,003 ecstasy tablets, while weapons smugglers have sent 169 illegal packages, including a pistol, revolver, shotgun and semi-automatic rifle.

John McGowan, of the NCA Border Policing Command in Scotland, said: "The postal and  fast parcel system is just one of the ways criminals try to smuggle contraband into Scotland.

"There are rarely gun parts or real firearms, and most of those we do see are legal and licensed. In terms of drugs, there is a lot of prescription drugs like Diazepam, a lot of herbal cannabis, and new psychoactive substances imported from China. It’s a high risk tactic to choose."

We'll be a touch more understanding when our present of socks 'hilariously' wrapped to look like a handgun doesn't make it home for that birthday. 

(Images: Shutterstock)

[Via: The Times]