An alleged middle manager in an organised crime gang was jailed for five years and eight months today after he was caught with a haul of cocaine worth nearly £900,000. Garry Jordan was driving a car near to Aviemore, in the Highlands, when he was intercepted by police who found approximately three kilos of the Class A drug.
A court heard that an analysis of messages from an encrypted Encrochat phone placed him "in a logistics role at a mid level in the hierarchy of the organised crime group". Jordan's accomplice, Steven McCallum, who was also in the vehicle, was jailed for four years for his role in the drugs offence. Jordan, of Thistle Neuk, Old Kilpatrick, in West Dunbartonshire, and McCallum, 34, of Kintyre Avenue, Linwood, in Renfrewshire, both earlier admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine.
Jordan pled guilty to being involved between March 27 and May 29 in 2020 and McCallum to involvement on a single day, May 29 in 2020, when the car was stopped.
A judge told the pair at the High Court in Edinburgh that on any view the only appropriate disposal in the case was a custodial sentence. Lord Arthurson said: "You are both family men with children." He said Jordan had been assessed as posing a moderate level of risk and McCallum as a medium risk.
Prosecutor Blair Speed said that police stopped a Vauxhall Corsa the pair were in on the A95 road between Aviemore and Carrbridge and found a holdall in the boot that contained packages of drugs. Some of the cocaine was up to 76 per cent pure and its potential value was around pounds 889,000.
They also recovered a suspected Encrochat phone. The encrypted chat app was used in criminal circles but European law enforcement agencies accessed it. Mr Speed said that Jordan was found to have used Encrochat between March 27 and May 7 in 2020 over his involvement in cocaine supply. He said that in one message he was described as being a "manager".
Defence counsel Paul Nelson KC, for Jordan, told the court: "He would not accept the classification of being middle management. He is not a man who enjoyed an affluent lifestyle and no confiscation proceedings have been brought against him."
"He is not a truly significant player in the enterprise, but he is a cog in the machine," said the defence counsel. He added that Jordan had a drug debt which had been exploited by others.
Brian Fitzpatrick, defence solicitor advocate for McCallum, said he had been acting as a courier for the drugs on a single day. He said: "His involvement in this enterprise occurred during a lockdown period.
He was working up until the lockdown. He was one of those who fell through the net of government assistance." He said McCallum had an excellent work record in normal times, but had agreed to do the drug run on one occasion for a single payment.
Police Scotland have welcomed the sentencing of the two men and thanked the public for the 'vital' role they played in the investigation.
Detective Inspector Andrew Ingram said: “We welcome the convictions and today’s sentencing of Jordan and McCallum for their involvement in the supply of controlled drugs. The operation resulted in drugs with a potential street value in excess of £800,000 being seized.
“These convictions send out a clear message that drug crimes will not be tolerated and Police Scotland will target those involved. The public continue to play a vital role in assisting our investigations into drugs related activity and anyone with concerns about drugs, or who has information about those involved in this type of crime should contact Police Scotland through 101.
“Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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