An Albanian chef who agreed to hold €87,000 of cocaine and cannabis to offset a drug debt has avoided jail after receiving a six year suspended jail sentence.

Gardai caught Emil Duro (28) when they spotted him running with a white bag away from two males in Dublin city centre.

Garda Brian Peters said he and colleagues found €67,000 of cocaine in the white bag and a further €20,000 of cannabis behind the boiler in Duro’s home.

Duro pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possessing the cocaine at Gardner Street Lower and the cannabis at his Bertram Court home on Francis Street on May 13, 2013. He has no previous convictions.

Gda Peters told Fiona Murphy BL, prosecuting, that Duro said he owed €6,000 from a drug debt he had built up in less than nine months. He said he wasn’t an addict, but he used to take a lot of cocaine.

The garda agreed with Dominic McGinn SC, defending, that his client had offered the people for whom he was holding the drugs €3,000 he had in savings but this was rejected.

Mr McGinn submitted to Judge Mary Ellen Ring that Duro has not taken drugs since his arrest in May 2013 and has been offered work in a takeaway business.

Judge Ring suspended the sentence in full on condition Duro keep the peace.