Flood of Scottish crime lords into jails sparks fears of rising violence

Fears of a huge spike in violent attacks are being sparked as a large number of organised crime lords have been put behind bars.

Landmark Police Scotland investigations mean several drug kingpins are now serving long sentences, with an Edinburgh prison included. However, it is strongly suspected they may continue their empires behind bars.

As the Record reports, this could lead to the 'constant recycling of gang feuds across the Scottish prison estate, with grudges on the outside leading to brutal payback in HMP establishments like Barlinnie, Saughton, Shotts, Glenochil and Low Moss.

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It was revealed Scottish kingpin Christopher Smith was jailed for seven years for running a drugs empire from his cell at HMP Edinburgh.

Smith’s drugs operation unravelled after detectives examined mobile phones recovered from drug couriers on the Isle of Skye.

They traced a series of telephone numbers back to Smith, who was an inmate in Saughton prison at the time.

The Daily Record has revealed intelligence data from the Scottish Prison Service that states:

*gangland contract violence now tops a record £3 million.

*numbers of crime gang members inside has soared by 21% in a year - with 653 now adding to mayhem on a daily basis.

*Violent incidents each month exploded from 95 in 2022 to 163 this year - up 72% in two years.

*The number of drones known to have carried deadly drug and weapon cargoes to jails has rocketed from 7 in 2022 to 67 this year so far - up tenfold.

*8% of the entire prison population is an identified Organised Crime Group member

The Lyons and Daniel gangs from Glasgow’s north side are the dominant malign forces behind bars but other big players include Edinburgh’s Mark Richardson.

The cracking of the Encrochat encrypted phone network led to big fish being caught in the net by the National Crime Agency and Police Scotland.

Biggest of them was Jamie Stevenson, who was jailed for 20 years at the High Court in Glasgow for running a £100 million cocaine importation racket and £28 million street Valium production.

Stevenson, known as “The Iceman”, admitted the crimes due to the powerful evidence gained via the Encrochat phone he used to communicate with underlings.

Right hand man Lloyd Cross, 32, got six years and Ryan McPhee, 34, for four years for assisting in the running of the pill factory in Rochester, Kent.

Gerry Carbin, 45, was handed a seven-year sentence after also pleading guilty to the same charge as McPhee.

Also in October, gang member Martin Murphy was jailed for four years after being caught with a £90,000 cocaine package, which he threw from his car while being chased by police on the M8.

Crime gang members Alan Stewart, 43, Leslie Montgomery, 63, and Matthew Cullimore, 37, were jailed for a total of 14 years in September after a major drugs probe - also cracked with the downfall of Encrochat.

They returned to the dock to receive Serious Crime Prevention Orders (SCPO) to stop them re-offending on their release.

Earlier this month the Daily Record revealed that a gangland war has erupted behind bars - with two key Daniel crime clan members injured in prison attacks within a number of days.

Gangland assassin James McDonald, who is serving a life sentence for murdering Michael Lyons in an attack at one of the family’s businesses, was set upon in HMP Edinburgh.

The hired hitman, who is also a convicted drug dealer and received a record sentence over the Applerow Motors shootings, was targeted last month.

The attack on the 51-year-old came following a fallout with the brother-in-law of another slain hood. And just days later Robert Daniel, son of late crime boss Jamie Daniel, was also attacked in jail.