Glasgow drug traffickers nicked while waiting on flight
James Montgomery, 44, and Darrin Campbell, 39, set up a drug trafficking network worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The brazen pair orchestrated the sale and supply of large quantities of cocaine and cannabis.
However, their crimes were exposed when specialist cops intercepted their encrypted messages on the Encrochat messaging platform favoured by criminals.
(Image: COPFS) At the High Court in Glasgow, the criminal duo were each locked up for four years and six months after they admitted being concerned in the sale and supply of controlled drugs.
The pair were also each made subject of Serious Crime Prevention Orders for three years which will come into effect on their release from prison.
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Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'This was a highly successful prosecution which has removed a large quantity of drugs from our streets and caused significant disruption to the local supply chain.
'Jamie Montgomery and Darrin Campbell will now spend time in prison paying for their crimes thanks to an extensive police operation, working with COPFS, to investigate a network of drug supply.
'Drug trafficking wrecks lives and blights communities where drugs take hold.
'The Crown will continue working with the police and other agencies as a member of Scotland's Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce to ensure that these crimes are detected and those responsible prosecuted using all measures at our disposal.'
(Image: COPFS) The COPFS said the court heard how the duo discussed drug-trafficking plans over a period between March 2020 and June 2020.
Frequent messages were exchanged detailing the purchase and supply of controlled drugs, adulterants, cash payments, and collections.
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Montgomery also posted several images to Campbell of compressed white powder, which was assessed to be cocaine.
He also regularly made arrangements to buy and sell drugs and passed on information to Campbell, who was the main point of contact for 'customers'.
The drugs they sold were never recovered, but a conservative estimate placed the value of the cocaine at £350,000 and the cannabis at between £27,000 and £60,000 a month.
The pair were arrested in August 2023 as they waited to board a flight to Amsterdam by police officers acting on intelligence.
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STV News
3 days ago
- STV News
'I believe my son is innocent, is our 17-year nightmare finally over?'
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If it does not go the way we want it to, we are going to have to start thinking about another campaign because we cannot just stop there. STV News June Morrison. 'We need to keep fighting. I think we can appeal against this appeal, but again, you have got to go through the process of having new evidence or new arguments. 'I have not been able to sleep because of the stress. I am not eating properly. He is on my mind constantly. When I do sleep, I wake up thinking about Colin.' Norris was convicted of killing Doris Ludlam, 80, Bridget Bourke, 88, Irene Crookes, 79, and 86-year-old Ethel Hall at Leeds General Infirmary and the city's St James' Hospital in 2002. He was also found guilty of attempting to murder 90-year-old Vera Wilby. All the women were elderly inpatients in 2002 on orthopaedic wards where Campbell worked and each developed severe, unexplained hypoglycemia. STV News (Left to right) Ethel Hall, Bridget Bourke, Irene Crookes and Doris Ludlam. 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Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Man who filmed children at Barshaw Park walks free after sheriff ruling
Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill ruled there was no criminal intent, describing the incident as a case of "naivety" and granting an absolute discharge. A tourist who was seen filming a small child in a park has walked free from court after a sheriff ruled no criminality had taken place. Janpreet Singh, 29, was confronted by a furious dad after he was spotted taking a video of the youngster at Barshaw Park in Paisley. The man filmed Singh and shared the footage on social media in a bid to identify him, sparking huge concern in the community. Singh had travelled from India to visit his sister who identified him from the video and went to police in March. She told officers he had been making videos to share with family in India. Officers later found the video of the child along with two others showing swans and park scenes. Singh appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court and admitted filming the child. But when he appeared for sentencing, Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill ruled no criminality had taken place and granted Singh an absolute discharge. The rare move means that he will receive no punishment. His lawyer had previously claimed there had been a 'certain level of naivety' involved in what Singh, who spent two nights in custody over the case, was doing. Sheriff Gill told him: "You went to Barshaw Park, you recorded videos and intended to send them to your family in India. "I don't believe there was anything more to it than that. As a consequence of these proceedings you have chosen not to go home. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "Given the Crown narrative and your explanation as to how the child was recorded by you, I do wonder why you pled guilty to this charge. "I also question why your image was uploaded on social media, which in itself seemed to have caused huge concern in the local community that there was an Asian male in the park who may be a 'paedophile'." The sheriff added: "I was going to admonish you, but I am going to take the unusual and exceptional step, not to proceed to conviction and grant you an absolute discharge. "The reason for that is that I am not satisfied there was any criminality involved here. That is the end of the matter."
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Parents of tragic Kory McCrimmon forced to re-schedule anti-knife crime walk due to level of support
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