A MEMBER of an organised crime group who made more than £200,000 from his criminal activities has been ordered to hand over £40,643 to the authorities. 

Prosecutors used proceeds of crime legislation to force David Mullarkey, 48, to hand the sum over on Monday morning. 

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Mullarkey made a total of £209,586 during his life of crime but only had £40,643 available at this point in time. 

Mullarkey, of Stepps, North Lanarkshire, was arrested after police seized £10 million of high-purity cocaine following a raid at the premises of a kitchen firm at an industrial estate in Hillington, Renfrewshire. 

Detectives found that Mullarkey and his accomplices James Davidson, Ellis Hardy and Wayne Smith were members of a gang which was supplying the drug.

The drugs were smuggled in an HGV lorry supposedly transporting Belgian waffles and were to be transferred to a modified van for onward transportation when they were intercepted.

Mullarkey, Davidson, 58, of Cooperage Court, Yoker, Glasgow, Hardy, 43, and Smith, 41, both of Mitcham, in Surrey, earlier admitted facilitating the transportation and distribution of cocaine in June 2019.

A judge jailed Davidson and Mullarkey for six years and three months each for their roles in the operation. Hardy was imprisoned for five years and his cousin Smith was sentenced to four and a half years in jail.

Lord Boyd of Duncansby told the four men at the High Court in Edinburgh: "Serious organised crime poses a threat to us all. The trafficking of class A drugs is a particular scourge to our society."

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He pointed out that Davidson had driven the drugs, which were up to 84% pure, to DM Kitchens where they were transferred to a concealed compartment in a Transport van.

Lord Boyd said it was clear that a significant amount of planning was involved in the operation with Mullarkey allowing the business premises to be used as a "staging post".

The court heard that police were initially monitoring Hardy, who was seen with Smith, in the Transit van the day before the raid was carried out on June 22, after they drove to the industrial estate.

Davidson had driven an HGV to the rendezvous before police moved in to secure the illicit cargo which had the potential to make £9.96 million if adulterated and broken down into street deals.

On Monday, prosecutor Dan Byrne and defence advocate Dale Hughes told Judge John Morris KC that they both agreed that Mullarkey had made the money from criminal activity. Judge Morris then ordered Mullarkey to hand the sum over.

The Crown can return to court if it discovers that Mullarkey has further assets and ask for a further order to seize them.