Gang guilty of organised crime in £4m cocaine and dirty money ring

Five men have pleaded guilty to being involved in serious organised crime after police uncovered a £4m cocaine and dirty money ring.

The men were caught during a major investigation in 2024, when detectives found a drugs lab set up in the bedroom of a flat in Glasgow's Lambhill.

The High Court in Glasgow heard the crimes took place in 2023 and 2024, and the arrests were among a number made under Operation Silhouette.

Ian McIntyre, 31, Kieran Doherty, 30, Calum McKelvie, 29, Jack Sanderson, 34, and Martin Tracey, 31, were all remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.

Prosecutor Derick Nelson told the court: "The indictment is one of several emanating from a large-scale covert police operation which was carried out and focused on a group of individuals who appear to be linked.

"The group were to be involved in the large scale supply of illicit drugs and laundering of cash collected."

The advocate depute added: "Using a safe house for storage of money (the then home of Doherty in Gartcosh, Lanarkshire) large amounts of cash were received and transferred to finance the manufacture, division and supply of drugs."

Nelson told the court that McIntyre was regularly seen carrying a weighted bag to and from the property, with surveillance showing him either receiving bags or delivering them to others who were later found in possession of large amounts of cash.

"Along with a network of others, McKelvie, Sanderson and Tracey operated as couriers," he added.

The court was then told of a series of the gang's illicit activities.

In early May and June 2023, there were separate dirty cash handovers of £100,000, £67,020 and £51,110.

McIntyre went on to meet a criminal associate at a cafe in Glasgow's west end.

"They were heard by police to be describing 'not doubling the money, but trebling it'," said Nelson.

Detectives got information that a large sum of cash had been passed to the driver of a silver Vauxhall Corsa, who was on the M74 southbound on 8 March 2024.

The car was stopped and a total of £199,530 was found inside.

The man told police he had been told to take the cash to a phone shop in Manchester and was to be paid £950.

Other seizures included £207,270 being found taped-up in bags in the boot of a car stopped near Longforgan, Perth and Kinross, another £101,000 at a flat in Glasgow's Whiteinch, as well as a man being caught with £51,000 of ill-gotten gains after a stop-off at a city centre hotel.

In connection with drugs, police discovered 15 blocks of cocaine with a potential value of £1.5m after a car was stopped near Dundee in September 2023.

"Each package had a handwritten image of a smiling face and the letter 'M' marked on it," said Nelson.

Another £290,000 class A consignment was discovered in a car which had a secret compartment fitted to hide illicit goods.

Police swooped at the flat where the drugs factory had been set up in May 2024. Sanderson and Tracey had been seen going into the block.

The court heard officers immediately detected a "strong smell of chemicals".

"On entering a bedroom, officers discovered three males wearing gloves and industrial respirators," said Nelson.

"The floor was covered by a blue tarpaulin, the windows had been blacked out and were lying ajar.

"In open view were blocks of white powder, a microwave, an oven and a hydraulic press. Operating throughout were large industrial fans."

Sanderson and Tracey were two of the men found at the lab.

The advocate depute stated the bedroom had been "set up as a factory for processing cocaine".

This involved the use of a chemical for "washing" the powder and other equipment.

Various hauls of the drug were found in the flat - some with a purity of 80%. The cocaine found there had a potential value of £1.47m.

Raids took place at 13 different addresses linked to the gang on 29 November 2024 in what was described as a "day of action" for investigating officers.

McIntyre, of Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Doherty, of Parkhead, Glasgow, McKelvie, of Barrhead, Renfrewshire, Sanderson, of Renfrew, and Tracey, of Mosspark in Glasgow, had been on bail but were remanded in custody by Lord Arthurson.

Sentencing was adjourned for reports.