Dealer rang drug operation from Edinburgh jail

Saughton Prison, HMP Edinburgh. Picture: TSPL

Paul Bulman directed the lucrative operation using hidden mobile phones from his prison cell at HMP Edinburgh.

His gang pedalled the stimulant pentedrone with £500,000 of the designer drug shipped in from Holland on his instructions.

But, his crime network was uncovered when his associates were put under surveillance by detectives.

The 26 year-old, of Knightswood, Glasgow, is back in prison after he pled guilty to being concerned in the supply of pentedrone.

Bulman faces a lengthy jail-term when he returns to the dock in July.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how detectives set up the Operation Eris probe to catch an organised drug trafficking ring.

It soon emerged Bulman was a leading member. He was in prison at the time serving a four and half year sentence for drugs charges.

But, this did not deter Bulman with prosecutor Bill McVicar explaining: “He was directing others in connection with the movement and payment for drugs using mobile phones from prison.”

Shipment

It was discovered Bulman had organised from his cell for a massive 70kg of pentedrone to arrive in Aberdeen from the Netherlands.

Mr McVicar said the shipments of the drug – similar to ecstasy - had a potential value of around £500,000.

A number of Bulman’s associates were then tracked by police between September 2012 and January last year.

Alexander Cruickshank was clocked in a handover of pentedrone in Dundee.

Barry Rutherford was then spotted collecting a package of the drug outside a McDonalds restaurant in Forfar, Angus.

Mr McVicar told the court: “Telephone records relating to Bulman and others established that he directed these handovers.”

The advocate depute said both Cruickshank and Rutherford were locked up at Dundee Sheriff Court last year after they admitted dealing in pentedrone.

The court also heard that Bulman instructed friend Sara Walker (22) to bank a total of £90,000 of dirty money.

The cash was then transferred to accounts in Malta and Portugal lined up to pay for deliveries of pentedrone.

Prosecutor Mr McVicar said: “Walker...transferred and removed criminal property from Scotland in circumstances where she ought to have known that the money was criminal property.”

Walker, of Possilpark, Glasgow, also admitted to a charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Judge Lord Turnbull deferred sentencing on both Bulman and Walker for reports.