Scots cocaine courier has £246k dirty cash seized after being jailed for 10 years

Prosecutors have succeeded in seizing more than £246,000 from a drug dealer caught with cocaine worth millions.

Graham McCulloch, 39, agreed to hand over £246,194.40 during a proceeds of crime hearing at the High Courtin Edinburghon Monday.

The crook was given ten years by judge Lady Stacey at the High Court in Glasgowin February 2021 alongside his accomplice 56-year-old David Murdoch.

McCulloch, of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, and Murdoch, of Linwood, Renfrewshire, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to being involved in the supply of drugs between October 11, 2019, and May 19 last year.

The judge heard how the pair were snared after a probe involving Scottish and English police officers.

David Murdoch was also snared in the probe. (Police Scotland)

Prosecutor Paul Kearney said detectives received a tip-off about the pair on May 12 2020.

A Mercedes van driven by Murdoch with McCulloch as passenger was tailed from London to Surrey then Scotland.

They used secret hidden compartments to hide the drugs.

A week later the van was tracked again as Murdoch was clocked dropping off bags at different addresses in London before meeting McCulloch at a car park in Kent.

They were stopped by cops on the A74 at Ecclefechan, Dumfriesshire, on May 19. Murdoch was driving a van and McCulloch a BMW.

Two drugs couriers have been jailed after being caught bringing almost £6m worth of cocaine into Scotland. (Handout)

Police found 43 blocks of cocaine weighing 52kg in the van and 7kg of the drug in the BMW as well as the cash.

The maximum value of the cocaine was between £4,720,000 and £5,900,000.

The pair also pleaded guilty to a charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act as they were also caught with more than half a million pounds in cash.

Passing sentence, Lady Stacey handed the two men three year long Serious Crime Prevention Orders.

She also told them: "Couriers are essential as, otherwise, the drugs do not get to where they are intended.

"Anyone involved who travels up and down from London to Scotland plays a vital part. I'm going to impose heavy sentences due to the time and amount involved."

Cops discovered the drugs in the van. (Handout)

The judge said the jail term would have been 15 years each, but for the guilty pleas.

On Monday, prosecutor Dan Byrne said the Crown had established that McCulloch had made £409,613 during his time as a criminal.

However, the Crown can only recover £246,194.40 from McCulloch at this time.

Murdoch’s proceeds of crime hearing will take place at the High Court in Edinburgh on August 30 2021.