A former Hearts player has been sentenced to seven years in prison having been convicted of running a drug trafficking operation.
Paul MacDonald, 35, who represented Scotland at youth level and also played for Clyde, hid thousands of pounds in drugs money at safe houses in Glasgow and told accomplices in encrypted text messages he could make £1.9million a month from buying and selling cocaine.
He and co-accused Craig Balloch pleaded guilty to being involved in serious organised crime, after police decoded encrypted messages between the pair which revealed their huge drug running operation.
One saw the former footballer declaring that he and Mr Balloch would “still get a million quid after bills are paid”, while another revealed Mr MacDonald discussing buying and selling expensive watches and purchasing a £250,000 property in Spain.
The High Court in Glasgow heard how Balloch persuaded one individual to allow her home to be used to store large amounts of cash as part payment of a debt.
When police officers searched the property in April 2020, they discovered £444,560 hidden in bags, envelopes and packages, while £146,750 was found at a second property.
Read More: Former Hearts player jailed over cocaine haul
Mr MacDonald was sentenced to seven years in prison, with Mr Balloch given seven-and-a-half years.
The former midfielder was previously sentenced to two-and-a-half years after a jury at Hamilton Sheriff Court convicted him of dealing drugs between March 2014 and March 2015 by a majority verdict.
Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “These two individuals were responsible for the supply of drugs on a huge scale.
“They failed in their attempts to conceal the money they made from their crimes.
“They are now serving lengthy prison sentences thanks to a successful COPFS prosecution and an extensive police operation to tackle and disrupt serious organised crime.
“I hope that these convictions and the sentence send a strong message to others involved in this kind of criminal behaviour and demonstrates the ability of police and prosecutors to investigate, prepare and prosecute serious and organised crime of this nature.
“We are targeting all people who threaten communities across Scotland, not only drug couriers but also those who direct their movements.
“The Crown will continue working with the police and other agencies as a member of Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce to ensure that these crimes are detected and those responsible prosecuted using all measures at our disposal.”
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