A Lanarkshire businessman who ran a drug smuggling operation with a former policeman’s assist made an astonishing £7 million from his lifetime of crime.
Lawrence Phee, 51, of Airdrie, pocketed a complete of £7,060,500 from his time as a legal, the Excessive Court docket in Edinburgh heard at present.
Nevertheless, prosecutors agreed with Phee’s defence legal professionals that the ex haulage agency boss solely had £75,557.41 in property accessible right now.
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The information emerged following a listening to earlier than choose Lord Sandison.
Crown legal professionals had introduced a proceeds of crime motion towards Phee, who's serving eight and a half years for drug dealing.
Prosecutors accepted a suggestion from Phee’s defence group at hand over the determine of £75,557.41.
Phee was arrested after police broke up a significant organised crime racket.
The entrepreneur recruited former British Transport Police Inspector David Brown, 52, to assist him run the operation.
A court docket heard how Phee ran the racket from a base in Lanarkshire between November 1, 2017, and December 1, 2018.
Prosecutor Alan Cameron stated: "The medicine had been transported from Alicante area of Spain to the UK with industrial equipment.
"These had been mostly turbines and compressors. The medicine had been hidden after which transported in lorry trailers run by quite a lot of people and corporations.
“The drivers of the autos and the operators of the transport firms had been, at occasions, unaware of the presence of medicine."
The court docket heard Phee organised 15 shipments to be made out of Spain into the UK and typically on to the Republic of Eire.
This typically concerned contacting transport corporations utilizing an alias and a pretend firm title - reminiscent of Pat Kelly of Kelly Compressors.
Mr Cameron stated the overall amount of the medicine smuggled was unknown. However two incidents gave an "perception" into the big scale operation.
In Could 2018, Phee - also referred to as Pat Kelly - and two associates met with a transport agency in Alicante.
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An enormous generator wrapped in clingfilm was then loaded on to a lorry. The drivers of the truck had been later stopped by police in France.
A complete of 126kg of natural hashish was discovered stashed contained in the generator. The harmless drivers had been held for 2 days earlier than being freed.
The natural hashish had a worth in Scotland of £504,000 and £750,000 in Eire, if bought in kilogram offers.
However Mr Cameron stated "most potential worth could be larger" if the medicine had been damaged down additional.
On December 1, 2018, a van pushed by Brown was stopped by police at Cairnryan ferry port in Wigtownshire.
He claimed to be a courier who had collected a load from Kelly Compressors in Shotts.
A police officer was suspicious about alterations made to a gasoline tank that was being transported.
Mr Cameron stated: "It was three-quarters filled with packages of managed medicine."
It emerged Phee tailed the van to Cairnryan, however was not linked to the seizure at the moment.
A complete of 4kg of cocaine, 23kg of natural hashish and 5072 bars of hashish resin had been discovered.
The medicine had been valued at £600,000 in Scotland - £1 million in Eire - however once more would herald extra cash if cut up into smaller avenue offers.
Lord Sandison gave Phee six months at hand over the cash.
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