A former Scots prison officer was jailed for 20 months today after one million street valium pills were found in her bedroom.
A court heard that the illicit haul was worth up to £498,000.
Natalie Walker, 38, admitted being concerned in the supply of etizolam at her home in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, on April 8 last year.
Jennifer McCabe, prosecuting, told Hamilton Sheriff Court that police stumbled on the huge cache after getting a warrant to search the two-bedroom flat in relation to another matter.
She said: "Numerous vacuum-sealed bags of tablets were found in a bedroom.
"Walker said she consumed drugs and admitted holding the pills as a favour for which she would receive payment of an unknown amount.
"She refused to name the person she was holding them for."
In total there were 995,760 pills, worth £99,576 wholesale and up to £497,880 if sold on the street.
Defence agent Sandy Morrison said Walker, who has no previous convictions, was "realistic" about her fate, given the high value of the pills.
He added: “She has been extremely frank with social workers.
“It’s unfortunate she had reached this age without coming to the attention of the police and now finds herself in this situation.”
Passing sentence, Sheriff Colin Dunipace told Walker: “You have lived a useful life and have undertaken worthwhile employment. You were a prison officer for a number of years.
“However, this was a considerable amount of drugs with a very high street value.
“This particular drug contributes to a large number of deaths in the west of Scotland. It’s my duty to protect the public.”
The sentence was cut from 30 months because of Walker’s guilty plea.
Walker also faces a Crown move to recover cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act at a later date.
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