A PLASTERER who delivered the “wages” to elite gangland figures and their families across Glasgow has been jailed for four years and eight months.
Gerard McTaggart, 47, was watched by surveillance officers delivering carrier bags containing thousand of pounds in cash to several locations linked to organised crime amid a money laundering scheme.
The High Court in Lanark sentenced McTaggart after he pled guilty to being concerned in serious organised crime at a hearing last month.
He was part of a long-running intelligence operation, Operation Escalade, by Police Scotland targeting Scotland’s highest-ranking organised crime groups.
The court heard how, between May and October 2019, McTaggart was seen carrying weighted carrier bags whilst meeting with associates during 21 visits to premises connected to the group.
He subsequently admitted being involved in serious organised crime after he was arrested in October 2019 while in possession of a Asda carrier bag containing £14,575 in notes.
Deputy Crown Agent Kenny Donnelly said: "Gerard McTaggart performed a specific function which was to deliver wages to family members of serious organised crime group nominals as part of a money laundering operation.
"He was a high-profile figure within this crime group.
"Money laundering plays an integral role in a complex, large-scale operation which facilitates the criminal activity of others.
"This successful prosecution sends out a strong message about our determination to disrupt serious organised crime."
Detective Chief Superintendent Vicky Watson, Police Scotland's head of organised crime, said: "As part of one of Scotland's most prolific crime groups, McTaggart thought he was untouchable and above the law.
"However, our officers working with partners, brought him to justice as part of Operation Escalade, which since 2014 has now seen nearly 50 people being convicted and jailed."
