Edinburgh prisoner ran 'covert organised crime operation' from his jail cell

Christopher Smith was caught
-Credit: (Image: Vic Rodrick)


An Edinburgh prisoner linked to serious organised crime has been jailed again for running a drug operation from his cell.

Christopher Smith, 34, masterminded a covert operation to supply and sell class A drugs from inside his cell at HMP Edinburgh. On Thursday Smith was jailed for seven years and five months.

Officers examined mobile phones recovered from drug couriers and found numbers linking the handsets to several belonging illegally to Smith. Analysis of the phones proved he was directing the owners to traffic cocaine and heroin on his behalf.

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Smith, from Elgin, was sentenced at the High Court in Livingston after pleading guilty to directing and organising the supply of controlled drugs last month.

He was also made subject of a Serious Crime Prevention Order, which will last for three years and is designed to prevent him returning to crime when he is released from jail.

A search of Smith's prison cell in November 2019 uncovered several mobile phones. A forensic examination connected them to several drug-related incidents in Skye, Moray and Inverness.

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The content of the dialogue between these devices showed that Smith was instructing others to sell and supply Class A drugs as well as directing the collection of debt money.

In one message, discussions centred on the delivery of cocaine worth £8,250 and the enforcement of a £12,000 debt.

Another message included details of cocaine with a value of between £40,180 and £57,400 and heroin estimated to be worth £10,000 and a tick-list with a value of £38,130.

The court was also told that one exchange with an associate included precise instructions on how to make crack cocaine and even provided notes as to which customers should receive what strength of drug.

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Smith also pled guilty to a charge of failing to appear in court for an earlier hearing on September 9.

Moira Orr, who leads on major crime at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “Christopher Smith was intent on profiting from criminality even from his prison cell by flooding communities with drugs and carrying out deals as part of an organised crime network.

“This was an illegal enterprise, run from his prison cell, and it is clear his role was pivotal. As prosecutors, will always take action against those attempting to break prison rules.

“The imposition of a serious crime prevention order also sends a message to drug dealers that we will not stop at prosecution and will work to restrict their ability, even after they have been released from jail, to return to criminal activity.”