Jodie Gilmour, known as Scotland’s “drugs queen,” has been locked up for four years after spending a fortune on cosmetic work, designer gear, and gambling, all while laundering massive drug cash via the encrypted EncroChat network.
£100K Blowout Behind Bars
The 32-year-old cleaning firm boss used EncroChat to traffic cannabis and Valium across Scotland, funnelling more than £500,000 in dirty money through her accounts.
Her lavish lifestyle included £20,000 on cosmetic procedures, nearly £20,000 on designer clothes, and a staggering £37,000 lost gambling, with only around £9,000 in winnings.
When police raided her Glasgow home in June 2023, Gilmour was found sleeping next to a £25,000 Rolex.
From Las Vegas to Glasgow: Smuggling and Scandal
Gilmour smuggled cannabis disguised as candles from Las Vegas to Scotland, but her operation crumbled after customs intercepted a package worth £2,200.
She used encrypted mobiles to coordinate with drug gangs and even plotted to build a pill factory aimed at making over a million Valium tablets.
Text messages uncovered by police revealed her swapping luxury watches for drugs and boasting about selling kilos of cannabis weekly.
High Court Handed Down Tough Sentence
Lord Renucci at Dundee High Court said: “Your involvement was significant and enduring, spanning three and a half years.”
“You managed substantial sums of money obtained from drug supply, with a total sum in excess of £500,000.”
“You admitted your involvement was to fund a gambling problem.”
He granted a serious crime prevention order alongside the four-year prison term.
Gambling Addiction Fueled Crime Spree
Defence lawyer Donald Findlay KC said: “Her gambling addiction was the core issue. She got drawn into crime primarily to fund her gambling.”
“She’s not good with numbers but could spot the best dog in a race instinctively.”
Gilmour admitted her role in organised crime, using encrypted phones to discuss drug production and sales, laundering cash through her cleaning firm’s accounts while simultaneously claiming benefits.
The cleaning business declared just £85,134 profit to HMRC, hardly matching the half a million passing through her bank.
Gilmour’s online flaunting of cash and £8,000 veneers only highlighted the scale of her deceit, while her criminal empire finally came crashing down thanks to a botched drug delivery.
