Man caught with cocaine worth £100,000 after parking sports car on double yellow lines

A man was caught with more than £100,000 of cocaine after police saw his high-powered sports car parked on double yellow lines, a court heard.

Matthew Oag, 47, was discovered after police saw him bringing his Audi RS vehicle to a halt on the no waiting signs at Belmont Road, Aberdeen on October 18 last year.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard how officers saw him go into a nearby house before walking back to the motor in a “hurried, brisk manner.”

Judge Lady Haldane heard the officers, then detained him and searched the car and the nearby house that he had visited. They also searched Oag’s home in Aberdeen.

Prosecutor Naomei Warner told the court that detectives found a substantial amount of cocaine and cash during the search.

She added: “Specialist officers who have knowledge of the current drugs market in Aberdeen assessed the nature and amount of cocaine recovered.

“A total of 860.17 grams of cocaine was recovered. The street value of a deal of cocaine in the Aberdeen region ranges from £80 and £100.

“On that basis, the total cocaine recovered could realise a street value of between £86,017 and £107,521 based upon selling quantities at 0.8 gram deal amounts.

“The total amount of cash recovered from the accused’s home and his vehicle was £1,780.47.”

The story emerged after Oag pleaded guilty on Friday to being concerned in the supply of cocaine in his home city between September 16, 2024 and October 18, 2024.

Ms Warner told the court that police were aware of Oag’s involvement in the drugs trade through intelligence they had received about Aberdeen dealers.

She added: “At about 2.15pm, plain clothes police officers were on patrol in Belmont Road, Aberdeen, at which time they observed a blue Audi RS motor vehicle driven by the accused Matthew Oag and parked on double yellow lines on Belmont Road near its junction with Berryden Road.

“He was seen to exit the vehicle. The police officers were aware of intelligence linking the accused and the address to the supply of controlled drugs and as such given this intelligence coupled wth the view from the position of the car suggested it would not be parked for long, the officers made the decision to remain on Belmont Road to see if the accused would reappear from the address.

“Ten minutes later at 2.25pm, the accused Matthew Oag left the address and walked back to his Audi motor car in a hurried, brisk manner with his hand in his pocket.

“Police officers detained him. During an initial search, the accused appeared nervous.”

Defence advocate Louis Bendle told the court that his client had worked offshore in the oil industry but was made redundant from his job during the pandemic. He said Oag had battled drug addiction.

Mr Bendle added: “He has told me that he has knocked this habit on the head. He did this shortly after being caught for this current offence – it provided him with an insight into the type of life he was leading.

“He completely owns up to the offence and takes full responsibility for it.”

Lady Haldane rejected a request made by Mr Bendle to grant Oag bail. Deferring sentence to obtain a background report, Lady Haldane told the accused: “A prison sentence is inevitable in this case.”

Oag will be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 25. A proceeds of crime action against Oag will also commence later this year.