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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Douglas Barrie

Scots gangsters to pay back £1.6M dirty cash after cops smash organised crime mob

Two members of what was described as Scotland's "most sophisticated" criminal gang have been order to pay back £1.6 million.

Anthony Woods and Francis Mulligan were jailed in January 2018 after admitting multiple charges linked to serious organised crime .

Woods, 45, who was  described as the mob's electronics expert, was sentenced to 11 years in prison - which was reduced by 28 months in June - while Mulligan, 43, was handed a sentence of almost nine years.

Anthony Woods is behind bars (Police Scotland)

Both men were responsible for creating secret hiding spaces in premises and vehicles to stash weapons,  drugs  and cash supplied encrypted mobile phones and false identities to gang members – including fake facial hair and wigs for disguises.

They also organised counter surveillance and anti-surveillance tactics against the police and gang rivals, including specialist signal jammers.

They were among 10 associates - including Paul Scott, David Sell, Barry O’Neil, Mark Richardson, Gerard Docherty, Steven McArdle, Michael Bowman and Martyn Fitzsimmons - locked up  after being snared for their dealings in drugs, firearms, serious violence and dirty money.

Francis Mulligan has had hundreds of thousands of pounds seized by authorities (Police Scotland)

At the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday, the pair were made subject of a confiscation order, giving the Crown the power to seize money gained through organised crime by taking future money and assets they acquire.

There is £875,070.11 currently available from Woods, while Mulligan has £810,108.83.

Procurator fiscal for specialist casework Jennifer Harrower said: "This should serve as a warning to anyone involved in financial crime linked to serious organisation crime that we will not stop at prosecution.

"Even after a conviction is secured, the Crown will continue to use the proceeds of crime legislation to ensure that funds obtained through this type of crime are confiscated from those who do not deserve them.

Glasgow High Court (Daily Record)

"This order sends out a strong message about our determination to disrupt serious and organised crime as a member of Scotland's Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce.

"The £1.6 million recovered from Woods and Mulligan will be added to those already gathered from proceeds of crime and will be reinvested in Scottish communities through the CashBack for Communities programme."

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