A TEENAGER has appeared in private at Selkirk Sheriff Court in connection with the recovery of a cannabis cultivation worth almost half a million pounds.

Albanian national Emaliano Boia is charged with producing and being concerned in the supply of the class B drug.

The 19-year-old made no plea and the case was continued for further examination.

Boia - of no fixed abode - was remanded in custody and is due to appear in court again next week.

It follows a police raid at an address in Curror Street, Selkirk, on Tuesday when cannabis plants with an approximate street value of £489,000 were recovered.

Chief Inspector Stuart Reid, Area Commander for the Borders, said: “This was a large-scale recovery which has resulted in a major cultivation being taken out of circulation.

“The supply and misuse of drugs devastates lives and has an adverse impact on our whole society.

“Tackling the sale and supply of controlled drugs is a top priority for Police Scotland and the disruption of all drug related activity is of the utmost importance to us.

“We continue to work to hold those who supply drugs in our community to account and bring them to justice.”

The same building - the former Ali Baba store and the flat upstairs - was used as a cannabis farm three years ago which resulted in a Vietnamese man being jailed for three years at the High Court in Edinburgh.