A man linked to serious organized crime threw £90,000 worth of cocaine out of a car window during a police chase on Scotland's busiest motorway.
Martin Murphy, 45, was jailed for four years and four months after police surveillance revealed his involvement in drug deals worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The court heard how Murphy was brought into disrepute after officers filmed him receiving a parcel from another man in a supermarket car park at the Glasgow Fort shopping center in April 2020.
Murphy was seen getting into his Range Rover after the man handed him a parcel. Photo: Crown Office
When police moved in to avoid arrest, he took off in his Range Rover and drove on the wrong side of the road.
During a high-speed chase on the M8 motorway, Murphy threw a parcel out of the car window.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) believe it contained cocaine with a street value of around £90,000.
Murphy was eventually arrested, as was Jordan McKinlay, who handed him the package.
The secret compartment in Jordan McKinlay's van. Photo: Crown Office
Cocaine worth £452,000 was found in a secret compartment in Scout McKinlay's van.
McKinlay was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison in November 2022 for his role in drugs action.
Jordan McKinlay. Photo: Police Scotland
Meanwhile, the investigation into the Murphy case continued.
His home in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, was raided in October 2021.
A total of £153,650 and €7,680 wrapped in plastic ties and a small amount of cocaine were seized.
Officers then discovered that Murphy was using three EncroChat handles – Analogpelican, Rocketforce and Reputableplug – to actively discuss the transportation, delivery, mixing and distribution of controlled drugs with other mobsters.
EncroChat ceased operations in June 2020 after French and Dutch agencies infiltrated the criminals' preferred encrypted communications network.
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COPFS says 40 drug-trafficking photos were recovered from the phone, as well as 1,194 lines of conversations between Murphy and others on EncroChat.
In one phone, a “tick list” was found in the notes section, which included the entries “200,000 paid.” and “150,000 paid.”
Images on the device also showed large bundles of cash and blocks of cocaine.
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During a High Court hearing, Murphy pleaded guilty to involvement in serious organized crime Glasgow last month.
He was sentenced by the Supreme Court in Edinburgh on Friday and will now be subject to confiscation under the proceeds of crime laws.
Sineidin Corrins, deputy prosecutor for specialist cases at COPFS, said the drug trade “destroys lives and devastates the communities where drugs spread.”
She added: “This was an extremely successful prosecution which removed large quantities of drugs from our streets and caused significant disruption to the local supply chain.
“Martin Murphy will now spend time in prison paying for his crimes thanks to a large-scale police operation in partnership with COPFS to investigate and disrupt drug distribution networks.”
