Four men are behind bars after a £10million cocaine raid.
James Davidson, 58, David Mullarkey, 47, Ellis Hardy, 42, and Wayne Smith, 39, were snared after detectives swooped at Hillington Industrial Estate in Glasgow on June 22, 2019.
They were shifting the 30kg high-purity haul from an HGV truck to a transit van at the site where Mullarkey ran a kitchen firm.
Davidson had earlier driven the lorry, which appeared to be transporting £15,000 of Belgian waffles. But it emerged the consignment had been hidden in specially-adapted compartments in both vehicles.
The four had been due to stand trial, but yesterday each pled guilty to a charge of being involved in the transportation and distribution of cocaine.
They were remanded in custody and will learn their fate next month.
The High Court in Glasgow heard how police had initially been keeping tabs on Hardy.
He and Smith were first clocked together in a Transit van the day before the raid.
They travelled to Hillington Industrial Estate where Davidson had driven in his HGV.
The watching police went on to hear banging, sawing and drilling between both vehicles.
Soon after, officers moved in.
Prosecutor Greg Farrell said: “The cocaine recovered from within the Transit van had previously been concealed in the HGV driven by Davidson.
“On June 22, the four were in the process of removing the cocaine from the lorry and secreting it in the Transit van for onward distribution.”
The taped packages of drugs had a purity of up to 84 per cent.
Mr Farrell said the cocaine had a potential value of £9.96million.
Sentencing on Davidson, of Yoker, Glasgow, Mullarkey, of Stepps, Lanarkshire, as well as Hardy and Smith, both of Mitcham, London, was deferred for reports until February 15.
Judge Jamie Gilchrist also continued consideration of the four being hit with Serious Crime Prevention Order curfews.
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