FIVE men have been jailed after a 'complex' investigation into organised crime and money laundering.

Robert Ferguson, 67, Iain Robertson, 69, David Lyons, 71, Alastair Blackwood, 58, and Mohammed Aziz, 61, were convicted at Glasgow's High Court of various offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. 

A police investigation found that money was obtained through fraud and this was then laundered through Robertson's solicitors firm, Robertson and Ross in Paisley, dating back to four occasions in 2015 and 2016.

The first transaction involved a £79,340 stolen cheque due to be paid to a law firm in Jersey.

The next centred on £240,000 from a fraudulent house sale in London.

The third transaction saw £985,000 stolen from the hacked bank account of an individual.

Robertson claimed to be acting for a man who wanted to sell his home in Essex.

The trial heard that the “seller” was said to be staying at a flat that turned out to be Ferguson’s address and a total of £181,786 was made from the fraudulent sale.

In each transaction, the proceeds were funnelled through the client's bank account held by Robertson’s firm and false records were created to make them appear legitimate.

Furthermore, fake papers and fake IDs – including a passport and driver’s licence – were collated in a bid to cover up the crimes.

The Law Society raised concerns about several of these transactions before alerting the police to potential illegal activity.

READ MORE: 'Matter of urgency': Cops 'concerned' for Glasgow man as search continues

Today Robertson, of Kilmacolm, was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Lyons, also of Kilmacolm, Aziz, of Glasgow's Partick, and Blackwood, of Dunlop, all received seven-year sentences. 

Robert Ferguson (pictured) was sentenced to 16 months. 

Laura Buchan, Procurator for Specialist Casework, said: “The public rightly must have confidence in lawyers to uphold the law. These individuals fell far short of the standards of professional conduct the public are entitled to expect from members of the legal profession.

“Money laundering is not a victimless crime and plays an integral role in a complex, large-scale operation which facilitates the criminal activity of others.

“I hope 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.

“COPFS will continue working with the police and other agencies as a member of Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce to pursue those who profit from proceeds of crime.”

READ MORE: Former restaurant in 'in-demand' area of Glasgow goes on the market

David Gordon, Convener of the Law Society of Scotland Regulatory Committee, said: “It is vital that people can continue to place their trust in the legal profession.

“As the professional body and regulator for Scottish solicitors, we take our regulatory role very seriously and will intervene and take any necessary action to protect clients where we suspect a solicitor has failed to meet the high professional standards expected.

“In this case the Law Society acted to protect clients when serious issues were identified at Paisley law firm Robertson and Ross.

"The Society suspended two solicitors at the firm from practice and successfully petitioned the Court of Session to appoint a judicial factor to protect the firm’s clients and the public interest.

“Money laundering harms individuals, communities and society and is linked to crimes that cause human misery and suffering – from people trafficking, to illegal drugs and gun smuggling.

“The Law Society has robust anti-money laundering measures in place to protect the public and ensure the legitimate services provided by legal practices are not misused for criminal purposes.

"This outcome in court highlights the importance of taking swift action and ensuring that concerns were reported to the authorities.”

READ MORE: Major bank to close one of its branches in Glasgow - here's when

After the sentencing, Detective Superintendent Dave Ferry said: “Targeting the movement of criminal cash and profits in Scotland remains a priority.

“This was a complex investigation which involved a number of partner agencies to trace the movement of money which ended up being channelled through the law firm’s accounts.

“I welcome their conviction and the fact that a significant amount of money has been identified and taken out of criminal circulation.

“Cases such as this are a good example of our commitment to detecting and disrupting the activities of serious and organised criminals, working in partnership with fellow members of the Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce.

“This includes focusing on the threat posed by enablers, such as this group, whose own criminal activity helps organised crime groups to operate.

"We aim to make Scotland a hostile and uncomfortable environment for organised criminals to operate and prevent them from preying on our communities and disrupting activity like this is an important part of that work.”