A man has been charged with illegally importing the mephedrone derivative A bid to smuggle £500,000 of mephedrone derivative into Scotland has been foiled by police and customs officials. Parcels containing 50kg of the compound 3-Fluoromethcathinone were intercepted at Glasgow Airport last week by UK Border Agency officials. A 21-year-old man was later charged with illegally importing the substance. Mephedrone, also known as M-CAT and Meow Meow, was formerly considered a "legal high". It was categorised as an illegal Class B drug last week. The parcels which were uncovered at Glasgow Airport were destined for addresses in Ayrshire. Three properties in Stevenston were searched by officers from the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) on Thursday. Classifying the drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act sends a clear message that the substance is harmful and it is vital that users understand the risks

Det Ch Sup Allan Moffat

SCDEA A 21-year old man from the town later handed himself into Saltcoats police station. He was charged under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979. Subsequent to this, a further search was carried out at a fourth property in Kilmarnock. Det Ch Sup Allan Moffat, from the SCDEA, said: "Until recently, the legal status of mephedrone and its chemical derivatives may have implied to users that the substance is safe, which it isn't. "Classifying the drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act sends a clear message that the substance is harmful and it is vital that users understand the risks. "Our priority is to disrupt and prevent the distribution of this drug. With greater enforcement powers we will be firm and tackle those individuals who continue to sell or traffic this harmful drug."



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