Drug dealers who made £4.5m from organised crime have just £74,000 left, Edinburgh High Court hears

Two drug dealers who made personal fortunes of £4.5m from a life of crime, brought down after police cracked a top-secret encrypted chat network, have been ordered to hand over their gains.

Christopher Tiffoney, 37, made £2.6m and James Jamieson, 35, pocketed £1.9m, the High Court in Edinburgh heard.

Judge Lord Summers heard that Tiffoney only has £67,420, and his accomplice Jamieson only has £7,020 available to hand over to the authorities.

The news emerged during a hearing at the court in which prosecutors used proceeds of crime legislation in a bid to recover the duo’s money.

The court heard that both defence lawyers and prosecution counsels have agreed that the two men should hand over the lesser sums.

The pair are currently serving prison terms after pleading guilty to involvement in serious organised crime charges in 2023.

Detectives seized more than £5m of cocaine and heroin, as well as in excess of £500,000 of dirty money – described in court as being just a “small snapshot” of their illicit operation.

Tiffoney and Jamieson were caught following three separate police probes.

This included Operation Venetic, which, in 2020, saw French and Dutch law authorities smash the EncroChat messaging service favoured by criminals.

Tiffoney used handles such as ‘TINTHEPARK’ to help carry out the lucrative drug trafficking.

Ms Dalziel added: “These communications show his significant involvement in serious organised crime in Glasgow and beyond.”

Jamieson was also known to use an encrypted device.

Operation Stickup initially resulted in associate Darren “Big Popa’ Collin being caught after his van and a flat in the city’s Anniesland were searched in April 2020.

Police seized £1.3m of heroin and cocaine as well as £517,675 in cash.

In the weeks before, Collin and Jamieson were in touch via EncroChat, discussing drugs and how he should behave if caught by police.

Jamieson messaged him at one stage: “Much paper I done in tops (cocaine) this week.”

The reply was: “1,014,000”.

Tiffoney arranged for Collin to transport £659,000 in cash to Manchester.

The court heard it was Jamieson that Collin texted seconds after being stopped in Anniesland stating: “Been caught”.

Tiffoney and Jamieson were later seen circling the area in a vehicle with police at the scene.

Ms Dalziel said: “On April 30, 2020, Tiffoney discussed Collin’s arrest with others, mentioning the recoveries of drugs, money and phones. He was advised to go to a lawyer.”

Tiffoney also said Jamieson – nicknamed ‘Suitcase’ – would be “implicated”.

He stated: “Suitcase is f****d. The van was in his name. Surely they go for him also.”

Tiffoney also claimed Jamieson’s “prints” would be on some of the drug haul.

It emerged that DNA and fingerprints were linked to the flat.

Collin was later jailed for eight years in August 2020 after he pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin and cocaine.

Operation Brumlow saw Christopher Tinsley earlier stopped on the M74 near Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire in April of that year.

Police recovered cocaine with a potential street value of £4m from a van.

EncroChat messages revealed Tiffoney had been expecting to receive 20kg of the consignment.

He was said to have become “worried” when courier Tinsley had not been in touch.

Tinsley was jailed for five years and four months in May 2021.

On that occasion, Judge Lord Scott sentenced both men to four years and nine months each.

Passing sentence, he said: “You knowingly took part for two months in a significant organised criminal operation involving millions of pounds in drugs.

“You were both remarkably frank on your reports about how you became involved in serious organised crime.

“You accept being involved for financial gain or greed, which is more frequently true, and I give credit for that.

“What you pled guilty to was extremely serious, and I have to recognise there could be more serious examples of this charge with years rather than months and people higher up the chain.”

A three-year serious crime prevention order known as a ‘super-asbo’ was also applied to both men.

On Monday, Lord Summers gave permission for the two men to hand over the sums.

Prosecutors can return to court if they identify any more of the pair’s illegal fortunes.