Crime Correspondent: Edinburgh

John Smith, 33, was stopped in a taxi in the city and drugs, weighing just over two kilos, were found.

John Smith, 33, was stopped in a taxi in the city and drugs, weighing just over two kilos, were found. He claimed he had stolen a rucksack from two men who had asked him for directions in a pub and said he did not know what was inside. However, drugs officers had witnessed him hand over money in return for the bag of cocaine. Advocate depute Morag Jack told the High Court in Edinburgh that Smith had been put under surveillance during a drugs operation. She said that on 6 December last year he was seen meeting two men who had got off a coach at the bus station. All three went into The Abode pub in the city's St Andrews Street. The prosecutor said: "The accused was seen to hand over a bundle of cash to one of the other men. In return he received a rucksack." Smith got into a taxi but the vehicle was stopped by police and he was detained. Inside the rucksack, police found two blocks of compressed powder wrapped in black tape. Analysis revealed it was 25% pure cocaine with a potential street value of £107,560. Smith earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug. Lord Kinclaven told him he would have jailed him for five years for the offence, but for his guilty plea. The judge said: "As a courier you were playing an essential part in the drug trade."

John Smith, 33, was stopped in a taxi in the city and drugs, weighing just over two kilos, were found.

John Smith, 33, was stopped in a taxi in the city and drugs, weighing just over two kilos, were found. He claimed he had stolen a rucksack f...

Bartosz Kargul sentenced at Edinburgh Sheriff Court

Bartosz Kargul, 26, was detained by officers from the newly-formed UK Border Agency (UKBA) after arriving on a flight from Brussels in May. ...

Neil Scott,, at the High Court in Edinburgh that he was "most unfortunately the author of his own misfortune".

Neil Scott, 31, at the High Court in Edinburgh that he was "most unfortunately the author of his own misfortune".At an earlier hea...

Kyle Davidson was found to be supplying cocaine

Kyle Davidson was found to be supplying the class-A drug after he defrauded a company by ordering plumbing equipment on their account.Police searched the 19-year-old's home looking for the equipment and found the cocaine in a bag in his bedroom. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, Davidson pleaded guilty to obtaining £1,442.43 of goods by fraud on January 14 and being concerned in the supply of cocaine at his home at Niddrie Mill Drive, Edinburgh, on February 2.Davidson had worked for a plumbing firm until October last year, which had a contract with Factotum letting agency.In January, he went to Graham The Plumbers Merchants in the city's Temple Park Crescent where he pretended to still be working for the plumbing firm and ordered a boiler, a shower and plumbing accessories worth more than £1400 on the Factotum account."The person who served him recognised him as having been present with the owner of the company and accordingly the goods were charged to that account as requested by the accused," fiscal depute Sally Clark told the court. She said the following day, a member of staff at Factotum became concerned about suspicious transactions on the company account and contacted police.Officers raided Davidson's home and found a bag of white powder which was later tested and found to be 250 grams of cocaine with an estimated street value of £12,500. Davidson, whose address is given as Edinburgh Prison, is due to be sentenced later this month following background reports.

Kyle Davidson was found to be supplying cocaine

Kyle Davidson was found to be supplying the class-A drug after he defrauded a company by ordering plumbing equipment on their account.Police...

Wendy Young admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine

Wendy Young, 39, and her husband were stopped by police after a tip-off.And Young, a volunteer ambulance driver, confessed to officers: "I am an a*******. I only did it as we were hard-up for Christmas and we were desperate."At the High Court in Edinburgh, Young, of the city's Niddrie House Gardens, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine when stopped on the A702 near Carlops, Midlothian, in December last year.Alex Prentice, QC, prosecuting, said she was paid £1000 to fetch the drugs from Liverpool and part of that was used to hire a Chrysler Grand Voyager vehicle.Police discovered three mobile phones in the car as well as the drugs in a plastic bag.Jim Keegan, defending, said Young was married with three children and was a grandmother.He said: "This was prompted by the need for Christmas money. She and her husband have been unemployed and were on benefits."It was a foolish escapade and she described herself quite well to the police."Jailing her, Lord Brailsford said: "It is foolish and criminal behaviour and adds to the drug problem in Edinburgh."

Wendy Young admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine

Wendy Young, 39, and her husband were stopped by police after a tip-off.And Young, a volunteer ambulance driver, confessed to officers: ...

Edmond Okoli denied smuggling cocaine into Scotland

Edmond Okoli, 43, turned up to collect the crates of cheap crockery from Peru - using a fake driving licence as ID.Security guard Okoli, of Tyrrell Road, London, denied smuggling cocaine into Scotland in November 2005 - along with others - and being concerned in the supply of the drug.He told an earlier trial he had been offered £500 to pick up the artefacts and knew nothing about drugs. He named those he claimed were really to blame.But a jury rejected his story and found him guilty, by a majority.The High Court in Edinburgh heard today that Okoli felt "justifiably aggrieved" that he was left to carry the can.Solicitor advocate Jim Keegan, defending, said Okoli had never been in any kind of trouble before.The earlier trial heard how police and customs officers had earlier searched through the vases and other pottery. They drew a blank - until they turned their attention to the packaging itself.Some of the slats making up six wooden crates revealed a suspicious shadow when x-rayed.A jury watched a video of what happened next.A hole was bored into one of the lengths of wood, followed by a probe which flicked out traces of white powder.The searchers then noticed three lengths of wood in each of the six crates was a slightly different colour and all had been hollowed out to take packages of cocaine.The wooden boxes were loaded onto a white Toyota van. But by them customs officers had seized the cocaine and hidden a microphone in one of the crates.As the van drove away the eavesdropping bug picked up the sound of someone singing about drugs in a foreign language. Language expert Godson Echebima was asked to listen to the voices the bug picked up and said he heard "joyful singing" .Mr Echebima of London-based IOL Language Service told the trial that he identified the language on recordings as Igbo, spoken in eastern Nigeria.There were two Igbo voices on the recording, he said. Snatches of almost inaudible conversation could be heard against a background of a vehicle starting up and what seemed to be a telephone call.A transcript shown to the jury described part of the recording as "brief joyful singing" and translated the words as "he who's got the drug is going ..."The Toyota van was stopped as it headed south on the M74.Detective Sergeant Kenneth Simpson of Strathclyde Police drug squad told the court that the drug was of very high purity and could easily be doubled in quantity before being sold on the streets for between pounds £40 and £50 a gramme. The detective praised the ingenuity of the smugglers. "It looked just like a plank of wood. It had been very professionally done," he said.Detective Sergeant James Wallace of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency said the search at Edinburgh Airport was part of "Operation Horus"Last year Okoli stood trial on the same charges with the two men he claimed were really responsible. Richard Taylor, 45, of Edinburgh and Chibuike Chukwu, 28, of London were cleared by a jury then. The proceedings against Okoli were temporarily abandoned because his lawyer was taken ill.He had come back to Edinburgh to face a new trial, on his own.

Edmond Okoli denied smuggling cocaine into Scotland

Edmond Okoli, 43, turned up to collect the crates of cheap crockery from Peru - using a fake driving licence as ID.Security guard Okoli, of ...

Buchanan amassed a fortune through his evil drugs trade while claiming unemployment benefit

Partick Thistle's Liam Buchanan, 22, was forced to hand over the sporty s15,000Mini Cooper as it was bought with his father George's heroin cash. A Court of Session judge branded the First Division's leading scorer and his family liars over their far-fetched account of where the cash for a fleet of luxury cars came from as he ordered that assets of s200,000, including the Mini, could be confiscated. Ex-bodybuilder Buchanan snr, 50, known as Dode, managed to gather riches of at least s500,000, despite claiming benefits. He claimed his footballer son had bought the Mini Cooper despite tax returns showing he earned less than s7000 a year while playing at Cowdenbeath. Buchanan jnr now faces an investigation by the Inland Revenue for alleged tax evasion. The cars were seized during a raid by cops in conjunction with the Civil Recovery Unit of the Crown Office. As well as the Mini, there was a Mercedes C200 registered to Dode's wife Marie and a Ford Focus supposedly paid for by their daughter Lisa-Marie. The drug dealer signed on the dole as he drove around in a s40,000 Range Rover, with the registration DDD 74, which was also seized. The court ruling also means Buchanan snr could be forced to sell his s340,000 home in Gilberstoun, Edinburgh, as a large part of the value is deemed to have come from heroin deals. The ruling in the Court of Session last week was a landmark as it was the first time assets held in the names of family members were seized when the Crown pursued a crime Mr Big. Buchanan, who has previously served jail terms for drug offences, walked free from court on heroin trafficking charges three years ago after a not proven verdict. But officials then set their sights on his dirty money. Buchanan snr produced a barrage of lies to account for his wealth, claiming he had been given huge cash sums as gifts and that his wife and kids had somehow paid for the lavish lifestyle. In his Proceeds of Crime ruling, judge Lord Penrose said: "Mr Buchanan's income from legitimate sources was wholly insufficient to finance any but a basic lifestyle. He was on benefits at all times when not in prison. "I consider on the evidence that he purchased high-value cars to recycle or launder the proceeds of his dealing in controlled drugs. "Nothing in the present proceedings has persuaded me that conclusion was incorrect." Liam proved he had scant regard for the death and misery caused by heroin dealing when he battled to keep his flashy car in court. Lord Penrose found that Liam Buchanan had only declared earnings of s6432 in 2004-5, yet his father had told Crown investigators his son earned s30,000. The judge added in his formal opinion: "If Liam Buchanan has had a consistent income of s30,000 per annum for some time, of which the Revenue have notice of s6432, he has more to fear from investigation by HM Customs and Revenue (which must now follow) than from these proceedings." Buchanan jnr hit the headlines this week when his two goals knocked Dunfermline out of the Scottish Cup. He has scored 11 league goals this season. He has been linked with a move to Hibs, whom he has supported since he was a boy, but sources at Easter Road believe such a glory move could be torpedoed by his dad's reputation. When the Record spoke to him yesterday, he admitted his car had been seized. He then changed tack and claimed he was unaware of any court appearances or stories in newspapers concerning his crooked dad. He said: "I don't know about any of this. You'd better speak to him." Buchanan, 50, made legal history in the case by being the first criminal to launch a legal battle against a Proceeds of Crime Act seizure. He brought the case after he walked free from drug trafficking charges last year on a not proven verdict. He is now likely to face legal costs of up to £50,000, as well as being forced to sell his Edinburgh home to pay off the state. Angiolini hailed the decision by Lord Penrose, saying: "This shows that even where criminal assets are transferred into the names of family members, evidence can be placed before the court that will lead to these assets being recovered." The Record told last year how convicted heroin dealer Buchanan, 50, was launching a bid to keep his fleet of cars, including a £40,000 Range Rover and £30,000 Mercedes C200K. Buchanan's wife and children each claimed to have paid for the vehicles, despite having no means to cover the huge cost. Ex-bodybuilder Buchanan amassed a fortune through his evil drugs trade while claiming unemployment benefit. His wife Marie claimed to work for a travel agency, although no tax records could be found. Son Liam claimed to earn £25,000 as a plumber and another £5000 playing professional football for Cowdenbeath. But the court heard that these alleged earnings had not been declared to the Inland Revenue. Prosecutors had applied to confiscate £430,000 but the judge ruled they had not proved all of it had come from crime. Buchanan, who has previously served a jail sentence for his involvement in a huge heroin haul, claimed much of the cash came from relatives as well as rent from students who lodged at his home. In his decision, the judge described Buchanan "a dealer in controlled drugs". Since the Proceeds of Crime Act came into effect in 2004, almost £5.7million has been grabbed from drug dealers, fraudsters and other crooks.

Buchanan amassed a fortune through his evil drugs trade while claiming unemployment benefit

Partick Thistle's Liam Buchanan, 22, was forced to hand over the sporty s15,000Mini Cooper as it was bought with his father George's...

Thomas Harvey and second largest recovery of coke in the Lothian and Borders area

Thomas Harvey was jailed for five years and three months.Police seized six kilos of the drug with a potential street value of more than £300,000 after tailing Harvey, 42, to Liverpool last September 12.Iain McSporran, prosecuting, said it was the second largest recovery of coke in the Lothian and Borders area and of above average purity.Harvey, of Claverhouse Drive, Liberton, Edinburgh, admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine.Ronnie Renucci, QC, told the High Court in the city that Harvey had not been involved with drugs in any way before last September.But he discovered his 17-year-old son had run up a drugs debt of some £2000 and was facing threats if he could not come up with the money.Jobless Harvey intercepted one of a number of phone calls and told the caller there was no way either his son or himself could get that amount of cash.Renucci added: "It was then suggested to Harvey there may be other ways he would be able to come to an agreement or arrangement, as it were."He does accept he had the option of going to the police and he did not do that."He also handed judge Lord Mackay a letter from Harvey's son, backing up his story.Jailing Harvey, the judge said he took account of everything said on his behalf.Harvey had hoped that if he made a trip to Liverpool to collect the cocaine, his son's debt would be cancelled, the court heard.But police were on his tail as Harvey drove his Vauxhall van to the Crosby area of Liverpool. They watched him meet a man in a Transit.His van was later stopped on the A702 near Carlops and the drugs found behind a panel.

Thomas Harvey and second largest recovery of coke in the Lothian and Borders area

Thomas Harvey was jailed for five years and three months.Police seized six kilos of the drug with a potential street value of more than £300...

Luther Richards found the drugs stashed in bags of groceries in his BMW.

Luther Richards who stashed £100,000 of class A drugs in a box of washing powder was jailed for four-and-a-half years yesterday . Luther Ric...

Paul Thomson was caught two years after police seized a £98,600 package of heroin

Paul Thomson was caught two years after police seized a £98,600 package of heroin.DNA from Paul Thomson, 30, was found on the 1kg package at...

George Buchanan aka Dode

George Buchanan will be forced to relinquish his fleet of expensive vehicles, including a Range Rover, a Mercedes , a Mini Cooper and a Ford Focus. The ex-bodybuilder will also surrender his share of a home in Gilberstoun, Brunstane, which he shares with his wife, Marie. Following a series of hearings at the Court of Session, Lord Penrose described Buchanan, 50, as "a dealer in controlled drugs" and decided some assets should be transferred to the Scottish Government. Investigators from the Civil Recovery Unit sought to seize as much as £400,000 of Buchanan's assets, but will now recoup around £200,000 from the sale of the confiscated cars and property. The judge ruled that a property in Loaning Crescent, Restalrig, and tens of thousands in cash from all but one of six bank accounts was not recoverable. Some of the assets had been placed in the names of members of Buchanan's family, and his children Liam and Lisa Marie also appeared before the court. In his ruling, the judge said: "Mr Buchanan's income from legitimate sources was wholly insufficient to finance any but a basic lifestyle. He was on benefits at all times when not in prison." He added: "I consider on the evidence, that Mr Buchanan purchased high value motor cars to recycle or launder the proceeds of his dealing in controlled drugs. "Nothing in the present proceedings has persuaded me that conclusion was incorrect." The Lord Advocate, Elish Angiolini QC, welcomed yesterday's ruling. She said: "Even where criminal assets are transferred into the names of innocent family members, evidence can be placed before the court that will lead to these assets being recovered." Buchanan walked free from court on heroin-trafficking charges three years ago after a not-proven verdict. But officials launched a bid to strip away two homes, four cars, jewellery and cash he amassed through crime. Investigators had told the court that there was a "financial black hole" of around £430,000 in the family's income. During that period, Buchanan was claiming unemployment benefit while his wife Marie claimed to work for Thomson's Travel Agency, although no such tax records could be found. Buchanan was jailed for 12 years in 1987 for being involved in one of the Capital's biggest heroin hauls and served eight years. He was also locked up for eight years as a teenager for attempted murder. In 2004, he stood trial accused of heroin dealing after police found £90,000 in the loft of his home but was acquitted. Buchanan claimed that much of the cash targeted by investigators came from gifts from family members, as well as rent from students, who lodged at their family home

George Buchanan aka Dode

George Buchanan will be forced to relinquish his fleet of expensive vehicles, including a Range Rover, a Mercedes , a Mini Cooper and a Ford...

Ryan Moore, Terence Carlin

Ryan Moore, 20, and his passenger Terence Carlin, 19, were stopped in Edinburgh's Peffermill Road by police acting on a tip-off last September. Officers found bags of cocaine hidden in a space under the roof-rack and two knives in the front-seat passenger footwell. The court heard Moore – who has been in custody since his arrest – had a £1400-a-week cocaine habit and claimed he had been asked to look after the drugs by a dealer to pay off drug debts. He pleaded guilty earlier this month to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, which had a potential street value of almost £30,994. At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Kenneth Maciver told Moore said: "This is a difficult case and a somewhat sad case because you are both so young." But he added that custody was the only appropriate sentence "for involvement to this level in drug trafficking". Both men – whose addresses were given as Edinburgh Prison – were on bail when they were stopped on September 28, 2007. Carlin, a scaffolder, denied all knowledge of the drugs but pleaded guilty to possessing the five-inch bladed knives – which Sheriff Maciver described as "one of the nastiest weapons I have seen". Jailing Carlin for ten months, Sheriff Maciver said: "You have a previous conviction for possessing a knife and were fined £1000 but that did not deter you." Defence agent Vincent Belmonte said Moore told police he would be shot if he revealed the identity of the dealer.

Ryan Moore, Terence Carlin

Ryan Moore, 20, and his passenger Terence Carlin, 19, were stopped in Edinburgh's Peffermill Road by police acting on a tip-off last Sep...