John Gray sentenced to five years for £15m Scottish drug‑trafficking and money‑laundering scheme

John Gray, 53, of Paisley, was arrested at Glasgow Airport in March 2026 after returning from Dubai and charged as part of Police Scotland’s Operation Escalade. Evidence from the encrypted criminal network Encrochat showed Gray coordinated the import and distribution of cocaine, cannabis and heroin worth about £15 million and oversaw the movement of related dirty money between 2015 and 2020.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Gray pleaded guilty to serious organised crime and was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison. He also received a three‑year Serious Crime Prevention Order and will face confiscation proceedings under Proceeds of Crime legislation. Prosecutor Sinead Corrins said, “This is a significant prosecution of an individual who was a high‑ranking member of a serious organised crime gang.”