TWO former Royal Marines have been jailed for drugs, firearms and serious organised crime offences after £300,000 worth of herbal cannabis was recovered from two vehicles in Glasgow.
Stuart Bryant, 31, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, while Grant Broadfoot, 29, was sentenced to five years and three months at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday, May 10.
Their actions were blasted as being "irreconcilable with the ethos and values" of the Royal Marines by the force's commandant general.
The father of the 29-year-old man, Ian Broadfoot, aged 62, was sentenced to a complete 225 hours of community service to be completed within 12 months.
The three men were caught transferring items from a military vehicle to a van belonging to the 62-year-old man in a Glasgow car park on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.
A total of 30 kilograms of herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of £300,000 was recovered from the two vehicles.
They had pled guilty when they appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on Tuesday, April 5 2022.
Grant Broadfoot also had a Serious Crime Prevention Order imposed for three years.
The head of Police Scotland’s Organised Crime Unit DCS Stuart Houston said: "The three men intended to blight our communities with drugs and violence and their sentencing is the welcome culmination of a protracted and complex investigation.
“I am taking the opportunity to thank the team of Police Scotland officers who worked tirelessly, with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, to bring the men to justice and to also acknowledge the invaluable assistance from our colleagues in the Ministry of Defence Police.”
The men's actions were discovered as part of a joint force operation involving Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency and police forces across the UK.
The procurator fiscal for major crime and homicide David Green revealed that crime emerged after officials inflitrated an encrypted message service.
He said: "These men were involved in bringing drugs and all the harm that comes with them into Scotland. The full extent of their criminality was uncovered thanks to the infiltration of the encrypted messaging service Encrochat and the resulting multiagency investigation.
“COPFS will continue to work with colleagues from across the justice sector to target those involved in serious organised crime.”
Lieutenant General Rob Magowan of the Royal Marines said that the discovery was "not indicative any broader issues" within the the UK's commando force.
“The criminal activities of these two former Royal Marines are irreconcilable with the Corps’ ethos and values," he said.
"Following a root and branch review of the culture and operations at 43 Commando Royal Marines, it is clear these incidents are not indicative of any broader issues.
“There is no room for complacency, however, and every effort will be made to ensure that Royal Marines everywhere behave in accordance with the high standards society expects.”
Raffaele D’Orsi, the Ministry of Defence Police’s Head of Intelligence and Investigation, praised those involved in Operation Venetic which unveiled the crimes.
He said: "I am very proud of the dedicated officers and staff involved in the delivery of these results. The sentencing of all three men is testament to an exceptional, complicated, and meticulous collaborative investigation, demonstrating how serious the courts view this criminality and sending out a clear deterrent message.
“The Ministry of Defence Police will continue to identify anyone who is a threat to the MOD’s people, assets or estates, and we will reach out into the communities, working with our policing colleagues in other forces, to mitigate such threats and bring all involved to justice, whether they are Defence employees or not and wherever they may be.”
