A jailed drug dealer who played a leading role in a gang planning to flood Central Scotland with heroin and cocaine was today ordered to hand over £75,000 of crime profits.
Anthony O'Hare, 34, made £650,000 from his criminal conduct but the available assets to be seized from him under a proceeds of crime action was £75,000.
O'Hare was jailed for eight years last year after he was described as a "ringleader" in a Glasgow-based serious organised crime group involved in the illegal drug trade in 2018.
He was previously jailed in 2013 for his leading role in a drugs and dirty money crew after his tastes in Armani suits and expensive watches helped get him caught.
O'Hare was freed early from that sentence but returned to a life of crime and a large scale police probe led to him being caught with more than £40,000 in cash.
Two accomplices were also held as 500,000 pounds worth of the Class A drugs heroin and cocaine were recovered.
Lady Scott, the judge who jailed O'Hare last year, told him: "It is clear from the offences and the evidence you had a leading role in this operation on the ground."
O'Hare admitted being concerned in the supply of both drugs, directing others to commit a serious offence and having £41,250 of dirty money.
Prosecutors said the case against O'Hare involved the large scale distribution of drugs by an organised crime group based in Glasgow's east end.
Details of postcodes and house numbers where drugs were to be delivered across the country were found. The drugs were found in a car in the city's Ruchazie area.
O'Hare was detained at his home address in Stepps, in North Lanarkshire. His then defence counsel Tony Graham QC claimed that he was the "buffer" between those lower down the ladder and the profiteers at the top of the drug chain.
Following O'Hare's conviction the Crown raised proceedings to claw back crime profits from him.
His counsel Mark Moir told the High Court in Edinburgh today in a brief hearing that a settlement has now been reached in the action.
Mr Moir asked that six months be allowed to pay the £75k confiscation order as a share in a property was involved.
Advocate depute Dan Byrne said some of the money was in bank accounts and held by the police.
The judge, Lord Braid, agreed that it should be recorded that O'Hare's benefit from general criminal conduct was £650,000 and a confiscation order be made for £75,000.
O'Hare followed proceedings by a video link to Shotts prison.
