Gangster hauled back from Spain

THE UK’S “biggest ever” mob crackdown saw a notorious gangster hauled back from his Spanish refuge and caged over drugs offences.

Yesterday marked the culmination of month’s of work by a crack team of cops across Britain as David Hough, right, and his accomplice James Dalziel were jailed at the High Court in Paisley for a total of more than eight years.

Vital information on Hough’s activities was obtained during Operation Venetic, said to be the country’s largest-ever serious and organised crime investigation, involving Police Scotland, the National Crime Agency and police forces across the UK.

Between March and June last year, officers raided a number of properties linked to Hough’s operation and seized around £220,000 work of cocaine, heroin, Etizolam and mixing agents.

Firearms, including revolvers and shotguns, ammunition and grenades were also snatched by cops. An industrial pill press and hundreds of thousands of Etizolam tablets were found at a plant haulage and salvage yard in the Johnstone area. Hough, one of the gang’s ringleaders, fled to Spain to lay low.

The law caught up with him however and he was dragged back to the UK on a European Arrest Warrant after being nicked by Spanish cops. He was sentenced today to six years behind bars, brought down from nine because of his guilty plea.

One of his henchmen, James Dalziel, was sent to prison for two years and three months.

Detective Superintendent David Scott of Greater Glasgow CID, welcomed the sentences and warned: “No criminal is untouchable, even those who flee abroad to avoid justice.”

He added: “This investigation successfully targeted one of Scotland’s top-tier organised crime groups. Disrupting the activities of these groups and making the country an extremely hostile environment for them to operate is one of Police Scotland’s top priorities.

“This demonstrates our commitment to the country’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce and our resolve to tackle the blight criminals bring to our communities. These men were responsible for bringing fear and misery to communities across Scotland and are now facing many years in prison, demonstrating the gravity of the crimes they were involved in.

“I also want to acknowledge the excellent work by Detective Inspector Craig McPhail and the dedicated team of officers whose tireless efforts, working closely with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, saw the gang brought before the courts.”