Drug dealer who lost £9k running from police must now hand over same sum again
A drugs trafficker lost £9,000 when police raided his Aberdeen flat – and now he is another £9,000 down.
Police combating county lines gangs got a tip that Rory Morgan and his drugs gang were operating from a property in Esslemont Avenue in the city last June.
As officers raided the flat, Morgan ran into the bathroom and try to flush items down a toilet – but he forgot to hide his unexplained cash.
The 31-year-old was arrested – and detectives recovered £9,000 from the scene along with a quantity of cocaine worth £31,000 with Morgan's DNA all over it.
Police then became aware that Morgan was also dealing drugs from a second property in Granton Place.
They searched that flat and found nobody there – but discovered drugs.
Morgan was charged with operating an organised cocaine dealing operation in Aberdeen alongside Dean Alford, 39.
The pair were both convicted of the offence earlier this year and will be sentenced later this month.
However, in the meantime, a proceeds of crime hearing took place today at the High Court in Edinburgh to consider the ill-gotten gains in Morgan's name.
During the hearing, advocate depute Brian Gill KC told the court Morgan rented and frequented the two properties.
The prosecutor said: 'On June 18 2024, police received intelligence that an organised crime group, including Alford, were dealing in drugs in the Aberdeen area was using the two flats.'
It was that intelligence that led to the two raids on the properties.
The court heard today how both prosecutors and defence lawyers had agreed that Morgan had made £9,115.00 from his criminal activities.
Judge Alison Stirling ruled Morgan must now hand over the sum.
She gave him six months to do so – and if he fails, he could face extra time in jail.
We previously reported that Alford, a prisoner in HMP Grampian, has twice been jailed for Class A drugs offences in England.
The now 39-year-old served an 11-year sentence in 2016 at Woolwich Crown Court in London after being convicted of dealing cocaine.
Alford would take orders for drugs from customers by phone under his made-up brand known as 'Duffy'.
He would then get underlings to deliver the drugs and collect the profit.
Alford would then make children deposit their earnings, which could be as much as £2,000 a day.
Mr Gill said Alford was also subject to a slavery and trafficking prevention order imposed on following conviction for human trafficking offences.
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