Scottish fugitive Paul Fleming jailed over role in crime gang

Paul Fleming was sentenced at the High Court in Stirling

A Scottish fugitive has been jailed for nine years for his role in importing firearms and large amounts of cocaine into the UK.

Paul Fleming was the right-hand man to James White, who headed up one of Scotland's most prolific organised crime groups.

White, known as The Don, was jailed for nine years and 10 months last week.

Fleming, 39, admitted his role in serious and organised crime after being extradited from Spain.

Sentencing Fleming at the High Court in Stirling, Judge Lord Colbeck told him he had committed "an offence of the utmost seriousness".

His imprisonment is linked to Police Scotland's Operation Escalade probe, which has seen almost 50 people convicted for involvement in serious organised crime in 2014.

• Scots fugitive jailed for drugs and gun offences

• The downfall of Scotland's most wanted

The court previously heard that the gang used a fake solar panel company to transport cocaine and cannabis.

And they took advantage of low security at UK ports to bring in hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from South America.

Fleming, known as The Captain, used encrypted Encrochat mobile phone messages that lorry loads were moving easily through special "green" lanes brought in to speed food imports.

In reply, White, 46, joked: "Feel like throwing 100 [kgs] on the next one lol."

Prosecutor Scott McKenzie said the gang used a fake company called Adastra Off Grid as cover to flood Scotland with cannabis and cocaine while Fleming lived in Alicante, Spain.

James White was sentenced to nine years and 10 months last week

Police who raided a unit in London found panels with specially engineered cavities.

Fleming pleaded guilty last month to directing five gang members involved in the plot between December 29, 2017, and January 7, 2022 at locations in Scotland, England and Spain.

He called the shots in the sale and supply of cocaine and cannabis and also admitted identifying premises for stashing drugs and money and arranging the importation of prohibited firearms and ammunition.

Fleming admitted ordering gang members to hide and move cash in premises and vehicles, "in the interests of furthering organised crime".

Brian McConnachie KC, defending, claimed Fleming had "felt a sense of relief" when he was arrested in Spain because he wanted to get away from a life of crime.

He said: "When his sentence is over he intends to stay away from previous sources of trouble. In common parlance, he is certainly stating an intention to go straight.

"Over the years he has had a number of different jobs and he is a very personable individual and he's likely if he manages to go into legitimate employment to be successful and be the family man he ultimately wants to be."

Fleming will now face action to reclaim his ill-gotten gains, with a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act set for 13 November at the High Court in Edinburgh, and a hearing to consider the imposition of a Serious Crime Prevention Order at the High Court in Glasgow on 31 August.