A 23-YEAR-OLD man who admitted being involved in drug-dealing at the Segal House homeless unit in Dunfermline has been jailed.

Keiran Aktar, of Bruce Street, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court after the discovery of heroin worth up to £22,500.

He was to hold the drugs but gave a female acquaintance £100 to keep the package. The plan unravelled when she became worried and told her mum.

Aktar previously admitted that on January 21, at Segal House, Segal Place, Dunfermline, he was concerned in the supply of a controlled drug, diamorphine.

Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden said Aktar was staying at Segal House as was a female friend from childhood, who was in another flat there.

Aktar went to the woman’s flat and thrust a package holding the drugs into her hand saying: “I need you to take this.”

He told her to make sure she did not leave fingerprints on it. When a security officer came into view, Aktar left the scene quickly.

The female became increasingly worried about the package being in her room and so she left to stay at her mother’s.

During this time, she received text messages repeatedly from Aktar saying he needed to enter her room.

The woman’s mother contacted the police about what had happened with her daughter.

The depute said the drugs had a maximum street value of £22,500 but this could fall to £6,000 depending on the way it was sold.

When detained by the police, Aktar said he had been “roped into it” by others.

Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison said his client had been threatened over drugs debts left by his deceased father.

Sheriff Charles MacNair previously commented: “He’s decided he doesn’t want to take the risk so he’ll get a friend to face the risk of imprisonment. Pretty despicable isn’t it?”

Jailing Aktar for 20 months, the sheriff said: “It may well be that you were under pressure to store these drugs but it was open to you to report that to the police.

“You then took steps to make sure it was not you who would be in trouble if the drugs were found.”