Glasgow gang jailed after police find van kitted out as drugs lab

A Glasgow gang caught after police found a Ford Transit van kitted out as a drugs lab have been jailed for a total of nearly 20 years.

Detectives had swooped at an industrial yard in Glasgow's Dennistoun last December.

They found a Transit which had been kitted out inside to “adulterate and package drugs”.

Police went on to seize £1.7m of cannabis and cocaine during the large scale probe.

Four men held following the raids were today sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow.

Convicted dealer Robert Wright – once stripped of his expensive art collection – was jailed for eight years.

The 55-year-old, of Milton, pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of cannabis.

Terrence Connelly (31), from Robroyston, was locked up for six years after he admitted cocaine dealing.

Brian McCulley (39), from Baillieston, and Peter Ewing (53), of Bridgeton, both Glasgow, each pled guilty to the same charge as Wright.

They were sentenced to three years and 32 months respectively.

The four were snared as part of the Operation Croupier probe.

Wright was clocked driving a Mercedes into the yard before McCulley and Ewing turned up in a Ford Mondeo.

The trio stood chatting before McCulley and Ewing left.

The pair were eventually held close to Lochwinnoch train station in Renfrewshire.

A total of 38kg of cannabis and cannabis resin was discovered in the Ford.

Wright - described as the "custodian" of the yard - was held later that day after he returned there.

Connelly meantime was clocked driving another Mercedes into the site.

He was stopped at the entrance of a metal shipping container that had “traces of white powder” on its floor.

In the yard was a static trailer, five vans, three containers and a skip.

The court heard this included a Ford Transit.

Prosecutor Duncan McPhie said: “Police searched it and found that it contained a press.

“It appeared that the van was being used to adulterate and package controlled drugs

“In addition to the press and multiple packages of cocaine, officers found cutting agents, a sieve, a mask and a blender.”

Inside a silver Volkswagen van officers then discovered “significant quantities” of cannabis and resin.

Mr McPhie: “Forensic evidence was recovered linking this van to Wright.”

A haul of cocaine and other drug items was also found in one of the containers.

Wright hit headlines in 2007 after he was snared with £2.88m of heroin in a raid.

It was part of a huge £10.5m consignment of the drug later found at Glasgow Fruit Market in the city's Blochairn.

After being jailed, Wright was then hit under tough Proceeds of Crimes Laws.

He was stripped of his Peter Howson painting Study for the Opera Don Giovanni as well as seven works by Scots artist Frank McFadden.

A total of 12 watches - including Armani, Breitling and Raymond Weil makes – were also confiscated.