Organised crime gang jailed in Edinburgh after smuggling 'illegal and harmful drugs' into Scotland

Three men caught running a drugs smuggling operation have been jailed in Edinburgh.

Craig Dineen, David McMillan and Andrew Mullin transported thousands of pounds worth of cannabis from England to Scotland. The men, who have links to serious organised crime, were jailed for a total of 12 years and nine months.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, Dineen, 30, of Renfrew, was imprisoned for six years. McMillan, 40, of Glasgow, was sentenced to five years and three months, while Mullin, 46, also of Glasgow, was jailed for 18 months. McMillan’s brother Craig, 36, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for drugs offences and a fourth gang member, Stephen Hamilton, 31, was given a community payback order, demanding he carry out 225 hours of unpaid work.

At an earlier hearing, the court heard that Dineen, the ringleader of the gang, began running the illegal operation during the first Covid lockdown. They were told that Dineen lived a luxury lifestyle – wearing expensive watches and designer clothes and driving a Range Rover valued at £97,500 – after becoming wealthy from his life of crime.

Police discovered the smuggling scheme, after accessing encrypted messages between Dineen and other gang members, which linked the men to a cargo of controlled drugs and cash worth more than two million. The court heard that Mullin collected a drug shipment in June 2021, which had been driven from England before being switched to the transporter van and moved to a Citroen car. Police stopped the Citroen, which was driven by Hamilton, and found cannabis with a street value of £122,000. A month later, surveillance officers stopped the transporter van and apprehended the McMillan brothers and Dineen.

Kenny Donnelly, deputy crown agent, specialist casework, said: “This was a coordinated effort to bring significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs through Scotland. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service worked closely with the police to build a strong case resulting in these convictions and disrupting a network of drug supply. As a result, a significant quantity of drugs has been removed from the streets.

“This underlines our commitment to the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and the country’s Serious Organised Crime Strategy. We are targeting all people who threaten communities across Scotland, not only drug couriers but also those who direct their movements. With each case of this kind, we can help reduce the harm these drugs inflict on those communities.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Vicky Watson, head of the Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “This seizure undoubtedly caused significant disruption to a large-scale, cross-border supply chain bringing drugs into Scotland. Police Scotland will not allow criminals and organised crime groups to profit from other people’s misery. This case is a good example of how we utilise our resources along with the expertise of partner agencies in the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to disrupt this kind of activity.

“We know that individuals and communities are deeply affected by the drugs trade and do not tolerate the harm it brings. Anyone who has information or concerns about the sale and supply of drugs in their community is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101. Alternatively, if you would prefer to remain anonymous, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”