Two drug traffickers who planned to flood Scotland with cocaine have been jailed for a total of seven years and six months.
Craig Garland, 37, and Brandon Guthrie, 31, were part of a Dundee gang that was involved in sourcing and distributing Class A drugs worth thousands of pounds.
But their illegal activities were uncovered after police infiltrated encrypted EncroChat phone network as part of Operation Ranger, linking the pair to drug deals.
A raid on Garland’s home uncovered cocaine valued at £23,000 and a 20-tonne hydraulic press which is commonly used by those involved in the supply of controlled drugs to recompress adulterated controlled drugs into blocks.
At the High Court in Glasgow, the two men were both convicted after pleading guilty to charges of being involved in Serious Organised Crime as well as the supply of cocaine.
They were each sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
The court heard how both men were members of the gang run by another individual who died in 2021.
Guthrie’s main role was to coordinate and conduct the delivery of significant quantities of controlled drugs while collecting payments and accumulating cash.
Garland was responsible for storing, preparing, and adulterating the drugs.
They used the Encrochat messaging system to set up drug deals between March and June 2020. Officers found more than 2000 lines of conversation and 26 images that directly linked Garland and Guthrie to drug deals.
In one message, in April 2020, Guthrie complained to Garland that the Covid 19 epidemic had cost them £400,000 in lost drug money revenue.
Both men were arrested following twin raids by police on their homes in October 2020.
A police search of Garland’s address found a significant quantity of cocaine, with a street value of £23,000 and a 20-tonne hydraulic press commonly used by gangs to compress drugs.
He will now be subject to confiscation action under Proceeds of Crime legislation to recover monies illegally obtained.
Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “Craig Garland and Brandon Guthrie failed in their attempts to distribute significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs among Scottish communities
“These two men are now serving prison sentences thanks to an extensive police operation, working with COPFS, to investigate a network of drug supply.
“This prosecution sends out a strong message about our determination to tackle Serious Organised Crime and the trafficking of controlled drugs.
“We will continue to work with our partners as a member of Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce to tackle this type of offending and this case highlights the extensive work that has been ongoing against these groups
“With each case of this kind we can help reduce the harm that these drugs inflict on Scotland’s communities.”
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