Man jailed for smuggling £1m of cocaine into Scotland in hidden compartment

A man who smuggled around £1m worth of cocaine into Scotland has been jailed.

Officers say they stopped a van on the M74 near Lesmahagowon September 5 last year and arrested Kurtis James Taylor, from Liverpool.

Police Scotland had received intelligence that a vehicle was travelling from England with a significant quantity of drugs on board.

The vehicle was taken to Coatbridge Police Office and searched with the assistance of a drug detection dog.

A hidden hydraulic compartment was discovered underneath the back seat of the vehicle – which was opened and closed using a modified key fob.

A total of ten block-shaped packages – embossed with a Twitter logo - were discovered inside and were later found to be cocaine.

The drugs – which weighed around 10kg – held an approximate street value of between £801,840 and £1,002,300 if cut up for sale.

DNA belonging to Kurtis and another individual, who has not been identified, were discovered on the packaging.

Taylor, 30, appeared at Glasgow High Court on Wednesday, May 15, where admitted being involved in the supply of the Class A drug.

On July 23, at the same court, he was sentenced to six years imprisonment.

Moira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “This was a sophisticated effort to bring significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs across the border from England.

“Kurtis Taylor will now serve a significant prison sentence thanks to the intelligence-led police operation and work by prosecutors.

“We are determined to disrupt serious and organised crime.

“We are targeting all people who threaten communities across Scotland, from drug couriers to those who direct their movements.

“With each case of this kind, we can help reduce the harm these drugs inflict on those communities.”

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