Drug trafficker caught smuggling cannabis from Las Vegas disguised as candles

A drug trafficker was caught trying to smuggle cannabis from Las Vegas disguised as candles.

Jodie Gilmour was caught after customs officials intercepted the package in late June 2023.

This led to the home she shared with her mother in Glasgow’s Possilpark being raided.

Detectives went on to uncover Gilmour’s links to trafficking hauls of street Valium pills.

The dirty money raked in allowed the 31-year-old to splash out almost £100,000 on cosmetic work, designer clothes and on gambling.

There was also a £25,000 Rolex watch in the room she was sleeping in when police swooped.

Gilmour has pleaded guilty to a charge of being involved in serious organised crime.

She had been on bail at the High Court in Glasgow, but was remanded in custody by Lord Renucci pending sentencing.

The hearing was told how the package from Las Vegas was addressed to Gilmour.

It had been marked as containing candles, but instead held £2,200 of cannabis.

Police soon moved in on Gilmour’s home, where she lived with her mum, Shirley.

Officers seized eight different mobiles as well as £11,183 of cash.

Prosecutor Michael Macintosh told how Gilmour’s involvement in large-scale pill-peddling came to light when it emerged she had been in contact with fellow criminals on the EncroChat phone network before it was busted by the law authorities.

She had the username “scarabflicker”.

Mr Macintosh said: “She was the user of such a device demonstrated by references – in exchanges – to her partner, other family members, the location where she lived and a vehicle used by her.

“There were also photographs of Gilmour and of her home address sent from the device.”

In April 2020, Gilmour offered an associate a swap of a stolen £35,000 watch for 220,000 tablets.

She eventually managed to exchange the expensive timepiece with another criminal for a huge haul of pills.

Gilmour was further in contact with an individual about the sale of “scoobs” – a known name for illicit benzodiazepine tablets.

She offered to supply a haul of 150,000, remarking she had “a good few” in her possession.

The associate replied: “U should have – ur the queen a scoobs”.

Gilmour was asked by another to “engage in a scheme” for the mass production of the tablets, also known as “benzos”.

There was chat of “enough ingredients to make 1.5mill” and the drugs being “belters”.

Gilmour also had a number of conversations with others on EncroChat about cannabis trafficking.

The prices discussed included £5,300 per kilogram.

Gilmour boasted at one stage that the amount of the drug she would be “grabbing” from a dealer that she would need “a box a week min”.

The court heard “box” is slang for a kilogram of cannabis.

There was also a chat about the cash being made and not leaving “a paper trail”.

One message found stated: “Buy gold bars out jewellers. Never really goes down. 10k gold bar. Tiny.”

Mr MacIntosh said Gilmour ran a cleaning business in her name during the time of the offences between 2020 and 2023.

The firm’s highest turnover during those years was £43,540. She also claimed benefits.

But the prosecutor stated that, between 2022-23 alone, a total of £188,890 was deposited into Gilmour’s bank accounts.

There was £155,660 the previous year and another £181,675 before that.

Mr Macintosh spoke of “significant spending” by Gilmour.

There was £20,000 on cosmetic procedures, a similar amount on expensive clothes and £37,000 spent on gambling, with only £9,000 returned in winnings.

The charge Gilmour, latterly of the city’s Springburn, pled guilty to, including prosecutors stating she was involved in the “sale and supply” of cannabis, etizolam or other benzodiazepines.

She also banked dirty cash and arranged the transfer of the money between accounts.

Lord Renucci remanded her in custody as sentencing was deferred until next month in Dundee.

Gilmour had previously appeared in the dock at the same court on drug charges in 2018.

She had been accused, along with her boyfriend Ryan Bradford, of being involved in a lucrative street Valium racket.

Gilmour walked free at the time after her not guilty plea was accepted.

Bradford admitted to the crime and was jailed for four and a half years.