Police surveillance footage has captured the moment when a notorious drugs kingpin was seen collecting a hefty £90,000 worth of cocaine from a car at the Glasgow Fort. The video, released by the Crown Office, depicts Martin Murphy receiving the package from a driver in the shopping centre’s car park located in the East End of Glasgow in April 2020. Murphy, aged 45, was observed taking the package from a white van before hastily retreating to his Range Rover. Despite police’s attempts to apprehend him, Murphy managed to evade the authorities by speeding out of the car park, even driving on the wrong side of the road. During his escape, he discarded the package, believed to contain cocaine valued at £90,000, from his vehicle window while being pursued by the police on the M8 motorway.
The individual who had rendezvoused with Murphy, football scout Jordan McKinlay, was intercepted in his van back at the car park, where police discovered a total of £452,000 worth of cocaine concealed in a compartment of McKinlay’s vehicle. McKinlay received a three-year and nine-month prison sentence in November 2022 for his involvement in drug trafficking activities. Subsequently, Murphy’s illicit drug operations were unveiled by law enforcement following the decryption of Encrochat, a communications platform commonly utilised by criminals. Police unearthed numerous incriminating messages and images from Murphy’s phones, which exposed the magnitude of his drug-trafficking enterprise. Using aliases such as Analogpelican, Rocketforce, and Reputableplug on the platform, Murphy extensively discussed the transportation, delivery, mixing, and distribution of drugs with his criminal associates.
A police raid conducted in October 2021 at Murphy’s residence in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, led to the discovery of substantial sums of money acquired from unlawful activities stashed in plastic bags secured with elastic bands. A total of £153,650 and 7,680 euros were seized wrapped in plastic bands along with a small quantity of cocaine. A phone recovered during the operation contained a ‘Notes’ section with entries indicating “200k paid” and “150k paid,” interpreted by investigators as references to outstanding and settled debts owed by Murphy. Moreover, the ‘Notes’ section featured a series of names accompanied by numerical figures, believed to be extensive lists documenting drug debts owed to Murphy. Additionally, the phone’s photo gallery contained multiple images portraying large sums of cash and blocks of cocaine.
Recently, Murphy was sentenced to four years and four months in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh. Presiding Judge Lady Hood remarked that given the severity and nature of Murphy’s criminal activities, a custodial sentence was the appropriate course of action to deter others from engaging in similar illicit ventures. Following the sentencing, Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for specialist casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), commended the successful prosecution for eliminating a substantial quantity of drugs from circulation, disrupting the local drug supply chain, and ensuring Murphy faces accountability for his crimes through cooperation between law enforcement and COPFS.
Prosecutors are set to commence proceedings against Murphy under proceeds of crime legislation in an effort to recover his ill-gotten gains. The court hearing for this matter is scheduled to take place at the High Court in Edinburgh in January 2025. The prosecution’s objective is aligned with the commitment to combat drug trafficking, safeguard communities, and prosecute offenders within the framework of Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce. Stay informed with the latest news from Scotland and beyond by signing up for our daily newsletter.