Seven men with connections to Tayside and Fife have been jailed for a total of 106 years and four months for their part in a multi-million-pound cocaine smuggling operation.
Gang godfather Michael Hailwood, originally from Liverpool but who lived in Dundee and Arbroath, received a 22-year jail sentence, while his right-hand man Edward McIntosh, from Arbroath, was placed behind bars for 16 years.
Judge Mark Brown at Liverpool Crown Court also jailed Dundee man Leslie Graham for 14 years and eight months, Martin Graham (no relation), from Methil, for 11 years and Polish courier Lucasz Litwinski, who lived in Arbroath, for 15 years and four months.
Croydon dealer Jason Bowley received a 15-year, four month sentence while Karol Siejda, who also lived in Arbroath, will serve 12 years behind bars.
The group are among 25 people who were snared following a major investigation by Lancashire Constabulary across the UK and Europe.
Operation Greengage also involved the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) and customs and police forces from Holland, Bulgaria and South America.
Judge Brown told the men they had been part of a multi-million pound drug conspiracy to bring cocaine and cannabis into the UK.Russian rouletteHe said those responsible for supervising couriers who had swallowed “vast amounts of cocaine” before travelling to the UK that they had played “Russian roulette” with their lives.
Sentencing Hailwood, he told him he was part of the “ruling tier” of the conspiracy and was “a controlling and organising force in relation to human mule importations.”
He said while it was accepted Hailwood had not been involved in setting up the organisation, “You soon put yourself in a position where you were a top man, using human mules and when in South America you must have been close to the source of cocaine.”
He added that he must also have made a lot of contacts while there.
He told him he simply didn’t accept his letter to the court stating he had been easily swayed by the actions of others and said he was a “resourceful and accomplished criminal.”Conspiracy”Having regard to your role in the conspiracy, it is clear you are a major international drug smuggler.”
He said, “Class A drugs wreak havoc with people’s lives, they sometimes cause death and bring an escalation in crime.
“It is a cancer in society and it is vital the sources of supply are removed.
“Those involved know they are playing for high stakes, both in terms of financial rewards and in the consequences of being caught.
“That is a risk you were prepared to take and also put the lives of couriers on the line.”
He told Hailwood he would take into account the 514 days he had spent on remand and also credited him with a 20% reduction in his sentence which he said would have been 27 and a half years had he not pleaded guilty at an early stage.
The judge told McIntosh his role was as “a senior and trusted facilitator, the head of the Scottish operation.
“In Arbroath you must have had a distribution system so that the drugs could be transported further on down the line.
“You bought a vehicle in Arbroath and in a week it was registered in the name of (already convicted) Stella Taylor.”
He said McIntosh had been in contact with Hailwood and another top man, Dion Lee, who were holding an important conspiracy meeting in Holland and was also in regular contact with all the major players.
He said McIntosh was one of the first defendants to admit his guilt and he accepted that he had also been attacked twice while on remand, on the second occasion being seriously injured.
The judge then told Litwinski that, while he started out as a courier, his role changed and he eventually supervised the movement of couriers’ vehicles and money and documentation.Scottish connectionHe said, “You were present at the important conspiracy meeting in the Toucan Hotel, representing the Scottish connection.
“You were obviously a trusted and reliable criminal colleague in the conspiracy,” he said.
Leslie Graham was told, “You fulfilled a very significant role in this conspiracy.
“I accept you were not a main organiser or recruiter and you were not involved from the outset.
“Nonetheless you were a very trusted individual and were in regular contact with Michael Hailwood and acted on his behalf.”
He told Martin Graham his position in the pecking order was “significantly less than others,” but his involvement was for around two years.
He said he was also in regular contact with Michael Hailwood and others including another defendant James Boyle, who is due to be sentenced next month, and Edward McIntosh.
He said there was “no evidence to show that you were supervising couriers or as a human mule yourself.”
He told him he regarded him more as a foot soldier, passing messages, etc, “but you were involved in the conspiracy and you must have been considered a trusted and reliable member.”
The judge told McIntosh his role was as “a senior and trusted facilitator, the head of the Scottish operation.
“In Arbroath you must have had a distribution system so that the drugs could be transported further on down the line.
“You bought a vehicle in Arbroath and in a week it was registered in the name of (already convicted) Stella Taylor.”
He said McIntosh had been in contact with Hailwood and another top man, Dion Lee, who were holding an important conspiracy meeting in Holland and was also in regular contact with all the major players.
He said McIntosh was one of the first defendants to admit his guilt and he accepted that he had also been attacked twice while on remand, on the second occasion being seriously injured.
The judge then told Litwinski that, while he started out as a courier, his role changed and he eventually supervised the movement of couriers’ vehicles and money and documentation.Scottish connectionHe said, “You were present at the important conspiracy meeting in the Toucan Hotel, representing the Scottish connection.
“You were obviously a trusted and reliable criminal colleague in the conspiracy,” he said.
Leslie Graham was told, “You fulfilled a very significant role in this conspiracy.
“I accept you were not a main organiser or recruiter and you were not involved from the outset.
“Nonetheless you were a very trusted individual and were in regular contact with Michael Hailwood and acted on his behalf.”
He told Martin Graham his position in the pecking order was “significantly less than others,” but his involvement was for around two years.
He said he was also in regular contact with Michael Hailwood and others including another defendant James Boyle, who is due to be sentenced next month, and Edward McIntosh.
He said there was “no evidence to show that you were supervising couriers or as a human mule yourself.”
He told him he regarded him more as a foot soldier, passing messages, etc, “but you were involved in the conspiracy and you must have been considered a trusted and reliable member.”
The judge told McIntosh his role was as “a senior and trusted facilitator, the head of the Scottish operation.
“In Arbroath you must have had a distribution system so that the drugs could be transported further on down the line.
“You bought a vehicle in Arbroath and in a week it was registered in the name of (already convicted) Stella Taylor.”
He said McIntosh had been in contact with Hailwood and another top man, Dion Lee, who were holding an important conspiracy meeting in Holland and was also in regular contact with all the major players.
He said McIntosh was one of the first defendants to admit his guilt and he accepted that he had also been attacked twice while on remand, on the second occasion being seriously injured.
The judge then told Litwinski that, while he started out as a courier, his role changed and he eventually supervised the movement of couriers’ vehicles and money and documentation.Scottish connectionHe said, “You were present at the important conspiracy meeting in the Toucan Hotel, representing the Scottish connection.
“You were obviously a trusted and reliable criminal colleague in the conspiracy,” he said.
Leslie Graham was told, “You fulfilled a very significant role in this conspiracy.
“I accept you were not a main organiser or recruiter and you were not involved from the outset.
“Nonetheless you were a very trusted individual and were in regular contact with Michael Hailwood and acted on his behalf.”
He told Martin Graham his position in the pecking order was “significantly less than others,” but his involvement was for around two years.
He said he was also in regular contact with Michael Hailwood and others including another defendant James Boyle, who is due to be sentenced next month, and Edward McIntosh.
He said there was “no evidence to show that you were supervising couriers or as a human mule yourself.”
He told him he regarded him more as a foot soldier, passing messages, etc, “but you were involved in the conspiracy and you must have been considered a trusted and reliable member.”
The judge told McIntosh his role was as “a senior and trusted facilitator, the head of the Scottish operation.
“In Arbroath you must have had a distribution system so that the drugs could be transported further on down the line.
“You bought a vehicle in Arbroath and in a week it was registered in the name of (already convicted) Stella Taylor.”
He said McIntosh had been in contact with Hailwood and another top man, Dion Lee, who were holding an important conspiracy meeting in Holland and was also in regular contact with all the major players.
He said McIntosh was one of the first defendants to admit his guilt and he accepted that he had also been attacked twice while on remand, on the second occasion being seriously injured.
The judge then told Litwinski that, while he started out as a courier, his role changed and he eventually supervised the movement of couriers’ vehicles and money and documentation.Scottish connectionHe said, “You were present at the important conspiracy meeting in the Toucan Hotel, representing the Scottish connection.
“You were obviously a trusted and reliable criminal colleague in the conspiracy,” he said.
Leslie Graham was told, “You fulfilled a very significant role in this conspiracy.
“I accept you were not a main organiser or recruiter and you were not involved from the outset.
“Nonetheless you were a very trusted individual and were in regular contact with Michael Hailwood and acted on his behalf.”
He told Martin Graham his position in the pecking order was “significantly less than others,” but his involvement was for around two years.
He said he was also in regular contact with Michael Hailwood and others including another defendant James Boyle, who is due to be sentenced next month, and Edward McIntosh.
He said there was “no evidence to show that you were supervising couriers or as a human mule yourself.”
He told him he regarded him more as a foot soldier, passing messages, etc, “but you were involved in the conspiracy and you must have been considered a trusted and reliable member.”