Two men have admitted running a street valium factory at a remote farmhouse.
Jake Galea-Hughes, 27, and Shaun Lewis, 26, were snared when a raid was sparked after a female friend had been in a car accident.
Hannah Scroggins had been involved in a crash on the A713 near Dalmellington, East Ayrshire on December 6 last year.
The 28 year-old asked police to collect her personal belongings from the back of the car she was driving.
Prosecutor Alex Sutherland told the High Court in Glasgow: “The officers retrieved the rucksack.
“It was opened and police noticed a vacuum pack containing blue pills.”
There were around 17,500 Etizolam tablets inside, also known as street Valium.
The incident later led to the search of a property at Auldcraigoch Farm in Dalmellington, situated two miles from a main road.
Mr Sutherland said Galea-Hughes and Lewis were inside and both appeared “nervous and agitated”.
Galea admitted there were drugs and other related machinery on site.
Officers found a number of pill presses, which would produce more than 14,000 Etizolam tablets per hour.
Police seized a total of around 229,000 blue pills along with a haul of Etizolam powder, which could make another 338,000 tablets.
The total potential value of the drugs found at the farmhouse was £169,589.
The value of the pills Scroggins had was around £5000.
On Tuesday, the trio admitted being concerned in the supply of Etizolam.
The charge for Galea-Hughes and Lewis was between November 23 and December 7 2020.
Scroggins was acting as a “courier” on December 6 2020.
Lord Richardson deferred sentencing for reports until January 14 in Airdrie.
Lewis’s lawyer Lorenzo Alonzi earlier said: “Initially he did not tell his family about this matter. He did not tell anyone.
“However, he opened up and is now supported by his brother and father.”
Lewis and Galea-Hughes, both of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, were remanded in custody.
Scroggins, of Washington, also Tyne and Wear, had her bail continued.
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