Gang brothers are locked up as police smash drug empire

PAIR FLOODED SCOTLAND WITH NARCOTICS

Richard Elias

Two brothers who ran a multi-million pound drugs empire which flooded Scotland with narcotics have been jailed for almost 30 years.

Joseph and Gregory Mulhare were f inal ly caught after evidence from a supergrass led to them being arrested by armed police in Thailand.

The pair, from Merseyside, voluntarily offered to return to the UK to stand trial after spending more than a year in a Bangkok prison.

Their jailing brings to an end a lengthy worldwide investigation which has seen 23 men, including four Scots, sentenced to a total of almost 190 years.

The arrests fol lowed the seizure of about £ 66,000 worth of cocaine, £208,000 of MDMA, £ 336,000 of amphetamine, £ 420,000 of cannabis and £80,000 in cash.

Liverpool Crown Court was told that Operation Manhattan involved the distribution of huge amounts of cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy and amphetamine.

Ian Unsworth QC, prosecuting, said: “The professionalism and level of organisation in this case is evident.

“This was not garden-variety drug dealing. This was drug dealing on a substantial and extensive commercial scale.”

Unsworth described Joseph Mulhare, 44, as “a formidable figure” within the group.

The prosecutor said Gregory, 40, also had a “leading role” but was more “hands-on”.

The Mulhares sent couriers to Scotland on 31 occasions between March 2016 and September 2017.

Among those who received the drugs north of the Border was Scott McAllister, described in court as a “senior figure in the Scotland end of business”.

The 4 4 - year - old , f rom Cumbernauld, received 14 years and four months in jail after admitting conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs.

Unsworth added: “He was able to coordinate the delivery of commercial quantities of drugs and was operating on such a level that he had direct contact