Detectives have revealed the head of a Fife crime gang hid drugs cash on mobile phone betting apps in a bid to evade capture.
Kirkcaldy family man, Scott Allan, was sentenced to nine years in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday after previously admitting drug and dirty money offences.
Allan used his roofing business as a smoke screen of legitimacy while simultaneously orchestrating a network of drug-dealers across the Lang Toun.
Class A drugs were distributed and sold
As head of a tight-knit organised crime group (OCG), Allan oversaw the distribution and sale of large quantities of class-A narcotics, primarily cocaine, cannabis, heroin and amphetamine.
Operation Seron was the name given to the police probe launched in 2022 to investigate the activity of the Kirkcaldy OCG.
Hours of painstaking detective work eventually unearthed evidence Allan was amassing a wealth of cash beyond that possible of being generated by a local roofer.
The Courier was given exclusive access to the detective team and the far-reaching investigation into the OCG’s activities.
Working closely with partner agencies including the HMRC, police found that between June 2020 and June 2021, large quantities of cash were held by Allan in a multitude of bank accounts.
Drugs cash deposited on betting apps
Although the court heard nearly £100,000 was eventually recovered from his accounts, the amount made would have been “substantially higher”.
One account was found to contain £140,000 and in a second there was a further £102,000 deposited.
With so much cash being generated by Allan and his cohorts, attempts were made to hide further sums deposited on mobile phone betting apps.
One such app uncovered by police was found to be holding a further six-figure sum, which detectives proved had not been won by gambling.
Subsequent targeted drug raids across Kirkcaldy also helped to disrupt the OCG’s activities.
Mobile phones confiscated during the raids revealed gang members using coded language to conduct their criminal activities.
Kirkcaldy drugs network
With Allan and his associates using cheap burner mobile phones and third-party SIM cards police initially struggled to pin Allan as one of the phone users.
However, officers finally linked Allan as the user of one of the key mobiles after it was found to have been topped up at a Fife garage.
A painstaking trawl through CCTV placed Allan at the garage at the time which proved he was the user. It also helped map his wider movements.
Allan was arrested and charged in November 2021.
Despite the mounting evidence against him, he launched a desperate last-ditch attempt to evade justice.
He told police a completely innocent family member, who happened to be also called Scott Allan, was the guilty party.
His gang was eventually smashed, with drugs and cash recovered and another member, neighbour Julie Chalmers, jailed for two years.
Speaking exclusively to The Courier, Detective Inspector Stuart Hunter one of those involved in the investigation said “old-fashioned” police work eventually proved Allan’s guilt.
“Hours and hours of painstaking and often old-fashioned detective graft went into building a water-tight case against Scott Allan.
“Linking one of the mobile phones to Allan and proving his involvement in the encrypted chat was a game changer in the investigation.
“We also have to thank the work of the HMRC, which was crucial to understanding Allan’s financial background.
“In addition, continued support and engagement of the general public during a complex and lengthy investigation should not go unrecognised.
“Operation Seron was responsible for dismantling an organised and determined group of people responsible for a significant proportion of drug-related crime across Kirkcaldy.
“The public can be assured that we will continue to pursue these criminals and do whatever it takes to bring them to justice.”
