Father-of-two admits stashing cocaine and nearly £400,000 for crime gang

A father-of-two has admitted storing nearly £400,000 of criminal cash and cocaine at his parents’ house for an organised crime group.

John Robertson, 35, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday to concealing the money and Class A drugs at an address in Buller Crescent, Blantyre, South Lanarkshire.

The court heard that Robertson was targeted as part of the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) Operation Flier after authorities received reports alerting them that the was part of an organised crime group involved in large-scale drug supply.

John Robertson, 35, pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday to concealing money and Class A drugs at an address in South Lanarkshire.

When authorities showed up at the house in May last year they were let in by unemployed Robertson’s parents, the court heard on Thursday.

In his bedroom, a bag containing £355,040, another pile of £34,220, and another of £590 were found by officers, along with a counting machine and 231 grams of white powder, which was later found to be cocaine of “very poor quality” with a street value of around £4,000.

Advocate depute Kath Harper told the court the NCA “assessed the accused to be at the lowest level in the organised crime group and he has been used to hold their cash until the money needed to be moved on”.

Ms Harper went on to say Robertson “has no assets and appears to have fallen on hard times, having separated from his partner and returned to live with his parents”.

Robertson was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on September 16 at the High Court in Edinburgh.

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