A MAN who imported thousands of pounds in illegal drugs from China believing they were so-called legal highs was jailed for three years yesterday.

Daniel Greenwood was on bail after police found an earlier haul of narcotics, a former legal high called PVP, when customs officers uncovered a suspect package from China in the post.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court in May that customs and border force officers in Coventry became suspicious of a parcel addressed to Greenwood and found 200g of a former legal high, NRG-2, inside.

Wiltshire Police were informed and when they went to his home the 26-year-old tried to flee before officers caught up with him, although he did not have drugs on him.

They also seized a quantity of whey powder, which is used by bodybuilders but also used to bulk up drugs when they are being cut ready for street deals.

And when cops raided his flat in the David Murray John tower they found an acro-prop, normally used by builders to hold up unstable roofs, behind the front door which was used as a make-shift barricade while he prepared the drugs, the court heard.

Mr Meeke said Greenwood had been sending money to China using Western Union, wiring £872 in December, £1,630 in February, £960 in April and £681 in May.

This came after his family’s home, in Lords Close, Wroughton , was raided in November last year and a 400g haul of class B substance PVP, worth about £8,500, discovered.

His mum, Deborah O’Grady, 52, and her 51-year-old husband Raymond, were also arrested and charged with conspiracy to supply drugs – and both entered formal not guilty pleas at a previous hearing and have had all charges against them dropped.

Yesterday, Greenwood pleaded guilty to possessing class B drugs with intent to supply and two counts of being concerned in their supply.

Rob Ross , defending, said his client’s position on the autistic spectrum led to him getting involved in the offending, which was backed by an independent psychiatric report.

He said: “It gives credence to what he was able to tell the probation officer, in other words that frankly, to use a not very sensible phrase the people use but actually describes him perfectly, he used this offending to ‘big himself up’.

“To make himself someone, to be a centre of attraction, to possibly fit in with the crowd more, which of course is something he has always had difficulty with.

“He does accept he ordered the drugs from China, frighteningly easy as it is to do – as simple as going to a website and pressing a button.

“He had the good sense to see his parents exonerated – he appreciated he misled them.

“There is a lot this young man can learn. He find himself in the position he knows what getting involved in this sort of thing can lead to.”

Jailing him for 16 months for the first count, relating to the PVP, and 20 months for the NRG-2 charges, Judge William Hart said: “It is accepted on your behalf by Mr Ross that you occupied a leading role in both incidents.”