Drug couriers ordered to pay back profits of their crimes

Two drugs couriers who smuggled cocaine into Scotland have been ordered to pay back the profits of their crimes.

David Murdoch, 57, and Graham McCulloch, 40, pled guilty to supplying drugs and were sentenced to 10 years each earlier this year.

On Friday, a confiscation order for £21,248.24 was granted for Murdoch at the High Court in Edinburgh.

McCulloch was previously ordered to pay back £409,613 and 289,000 Euros.

The pair came to the attention of police after an intelligence-led operation carried out between Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police in May 2020.

Officers followed them as they drove from Scotland to London to pay for and pick up drugs before intercepting their vehicles at a service station at Ecclefechan.

In the van, police found 43 blocks of cocaine weighing 52 kilos hidden in a specially built ‘hide’ operated with a hydraulic system.

In the BMW, there were five blocks of cocaine and a suitcase full of sterling and Euro notes, totalling £409,595 and €289,500.

The cocaine found would be worth up to £5,900,000 when cut for sale.

Jennifer Harrower, Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework, said: “These men brought a huge amount of harmful drugs across the border into Scotland, intending to sell them onto the streets.

“We are determined to disrupt serious and organised crime, as a member of Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce. These confiscation orders show that not only will COPFS prosecute those involved in serious organised crime, but we will also make sure they pay back the profits of those crimes.

 “These funds will be added to those already gathered from Proceeds of Crime and will be re-invested in Scottish communities through the CashBack for Communities programme.”