Crime gang members complained Covid was 'disaster' for cocaine sales

Two crime gang members complained about how coronavirus had hit high-level drug dealing.

Craig Garland, 37, and Brandon Guthrie, 31, admitted their involvement in a leading Dundee-based mob that planned to flood Scotland with cocaine.

The pair were snared as part of the police probe “Operation Ranger”.

They were said to be working under the orders of gang boss Ronald Ferrie, who later died in 2021.

The High Court in Glasgow heard police had information Ferrie was involved in large-scale drug trafficking throughout Scotland.

The gang was caught after the law authorities busted the EncroChat phone network favoured by criminals.

Messages revealed Guthrie was responsible for ferrying “significant quantities” of drugs and collecting payment.

Garland helped store, prepare and bulk out the narcotics to maximise profits.

Gang boss Ferrie was known as “northjoshua” on EncroChat, Garland “surlybuster” and Guthrie “summernorth”.

The contract included chats about high-purity cocaine valued at £41,000 per kilogram.

At one point, Guthrie moaned to Garland that in April 2020, at the height of the COVID lockdown, the coronavirus had “resulted in a £400,000 reduction in revenue” to their criminal associates.

It was described as a “f***ing disaster”.

It also emerged Ferrie was owed £250,000 at one stage.

The court heard Garland and Guthrie were part of more than 2000 “lines of conversation” via the network discussing their criminal activities.

Police swooped at Guthrie’s home on October 30 2020.

A Peugeot van was parked outside. The vehicle was later found to be registered to Ferrie.

Metal plates for a hydraulic press – often used to help prepare and package drugs – were found in the van.

Garland’s home was also searched. Around £2,000 of a well-known substance to bulk out illegal substances was seized.

A mobile phone was found with texts linking him to drug dealing.

Mr Parfery: “There are also messages that show another more senior member of the group had fitted trackers to vehicles so that Guthrie and associates’ movements could be followed as a form of work monitoring.”

Police also seized £23,000 of cocaine as well as a 20-tonne hydraulic press.

The pair, both of Dundee, admitted to charges of being involved in serious organised crime as well as the supply of cocaine.

Garland was between March and October 2020, while Guthrie’s role only lasted from March to June of the same year.

They had both been on bail but were remanded in custody by judge Lord Arthurson.

The pair will be sentenced next month.