Drugs find after driver uses phone

Nov 28 2009 by Bryan Brough, Paisley Daily Express

EAGLE-EYED cops seized a haul of drugs after stopping a driver who was using his mobile phone on a busy dual carriageway.

It’s understood that, while officers quizzed the young motorist at the roadside, they noticed a strong smell of dope coming from inside the vehicle.

After searching the driver and the inside of the car, they found a stash of drugs, which are thought to be cannabis.

They confiscated the drugs and escorted the driver to Mill Street Police Office in Paisley.

Following further questioning, he is now facing drug-related charges.

The arrest was made after officers with Johnstone CID flagged down a car which was being driven on the busy A8 road at Langbank.

One source said: “The officers weren’t initially looking for drugs. They had stopped the car because the driver was thought to be using his mobile phone while behind the wheel. It was only when the motorist had pulled over and the officers were speaking to them that they suspected he might have been guilty of another offence.”

Last night, the street value of the haul was estimated at between £1,500 and £2,000.

The drugs have been sent to a police laboratory for analysis.

A 23-year-old man has been reported to the procurator fiscal and is expected to appear at Paisley Sheriff Court in the near future.