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A ‘businessman’ from Ayrshire who was involved in moving large quantities of high-purity cocaine between Scotland and Liverpool has been jailed for 10 years.
David Gordon, 34, was caught aiding a ‘significant criminal organisation with international connections’, of which he was not only involved, but played a significant part in the operation.
The judge presiding over the case told Gordon that she was satisfied that he was not the person who was in charge of the operation, however, she told him that he ‘played a significant part in the planning and organisation of these events and the transportation of drugs to Scotland.’
She said: ‘you were well connected and essential to the distribution of what was large amounts of cocaine to Scotland.’
The judge said that Gordon was an articulate and intelligent man, and charged him with two crimes. The judge charged Gordon with conspiracy to supply 2kg of cocaine, worth around £312,000, as well as laundering money to the value of £100,000.
At Liverpool Crown Court, where Gordon’s trial took place, a jury heard that on the afternoon of July 28, 2015, a car was intercepted by police while it was driving on the M74 near Lockerbie. It was then that the officers found the consignment of cocaine in the rear footwell of the car.
The vehicle that the officers pulled over was being driven at the time by Thomas Haggerty. Haggerty was recruited by Gordon as a courier, and had been tasked with collecting the cocaine and delivering money to Gordon.
Haggerty, 31, from Renfrew, works as a taxi driver. He has already been sentenced to 32 months after he admitted his part in supplying the cocaine.
Judge Elizabeth Nicholls told Gordon that she suspected it was ‘highly likely’ that similar transaction involving the gang had taken place two weeks earlier. She said that the movements of Thomas Haggerty on the 13th of July mirrored that of his actions on the day he was caught transporting the cocaine.
She said that Gordon had used secure Blackberry mobile phones to make the arrangements for the drug deals, and that by using these he was aware that he would avoid being detected by the police.
She accepted that some of the £98,000 that he was charged with laundering was legitimate income from his businesses, however, he had not declared this income to the taxman.
The prosecuting lawyer, Phil Astbury, told the court about numerous trips that were made between Liverpool and Scotland, and showed a number of text messages that were exchanged which spoke about 2 drugs transactions.
Gordon was in the dock next to the man who ran the operation, James Manning. Manning, 40, has also been convicted but will be sentenced at a later date.
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