An ex-soldier who survived a helicopter crash is facing jail after being caught with a £1million heroin haul.
Gary Cowan, 32, was stopped on the M74 near Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, in June 2020.
He was behind the wheel of a van belonging to garage boss John Craig, 31, who police had been watching.
Both are now behind bars after each was convicted yesterday of being concerned in the supply of heroin following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Ex-Royal Regiment of Scotland squaddie Cowan survived an Army helicopter accident in Catterick, Yorkshire, in 2007.
It ended his military career and he was left needing multiple operations.
Jurors heard how the 8kg high-purity drug haul could fetch in “excess” of £1million.
Cowan, of Paisley, and Craig, of Toryglen, Glasgow, had denied knowing about the illegal consignment.
Cowan claimed he had been asked to drive to Liverpool to collect car parts by Porsche-driving Craig, who runs a garage
in Airdrie.
He said he met a man in Merseyside and left him for 10 or 15 minutes with the van.
On his return trip to Scotland, police swooped on Cowan on the M74 and found the drugs in the van.
Craig insisted Cowan had asked for a loan of his works van and claimed to only become aware of any issue when Cowan failed to return with the vehicle.
The pair were remanded in custody and will be sentenced next month.
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