Drug runners who planned to smuggle drugs into prison inside Kinder Eggs sentenced at Edinburgh court

Charles McAllister, 53, was convicted of directing others including co-accused Stephen Lamb to commit offences including the sale and supply of controlled drugs, which included cocaine, heroin, Spice, cannabis and etizolam.

Lamb, 54, was convicted of being concerned in serious organised crime which included the sale and supply of controlled drugs, including cocaine, Spice, cannabis and etizolam.

Their criminal scheme included plans to smuggle drugs into a prison hidden inside Kinder Eggs. On Thursday, July 3, both men were sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh after pleading guilty to their roles in serious organised crime between December 2022 and March 2023.

On Thursday, July 3, Charles McAllister, and Stephen Lamb were sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh | National World

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Sineidin Corrins, Depute Procurator Fiscal for specialist casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said their conviction has ‘made communities safer’ and ‘underscores our determination to continue to disrupt serious organised crime’.

Ms Corrins said: “This is a significant prosecution. These two individuals played pivotal roles in a coordinated operation to distribute illegal and harmful drugs.

“We will continue to collaborate with our partners as a member of Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce to tackle serious organised crime and this kind of case highlights the extensive work that has been ongoing against these groups.”

McAllister, of Glasgow, was sentenced to eight years and three months in prison after admitting directing serious organised crime. He was also linked to the Escalade serious organised crime group. Lamb, also of Glasgow, will spend five years and four months behind bars after pleading guilty to being involved in serious organised crime.

Evidence secured by the police revealed that McAllister was issuing direct instructions to Lamb over the sale and supply of controlled drugs including those for onward transmission to prison and confirmed that Lamb was carrying out those tasks.

In addition, McAllister directed others in the storage, preparation, transportation and movement of controlled drugs. The court was told McAllister was also involved in directing others to conceal criminal property – specifically money and jewellery – associated with the proceeds of crime.

On one occasion, McAllister was directing Lamb to hand over £25,000 to a shop to be laundered. Other evidence related to conversations about smuggling drugs into prisons hidden inside balloons and Kinder Eggs.

On March 8, 2023, McAllister was also heard discussing the delivery of cocaine and heroin. He also referred to a ‘stash house’ into which he planned to install a woman and a child to make the property appear legitimate and discussed obtaining 20kg of cocaine with an associate.

Lamb was eventually arrested in March 2023 after a search of his home revealed a quantity of drugs which included a quantity of Kinder Eggs containing drugs wrapped in Sellotape.

The following day, McAllister was also arrested after police recovered numerous sim cards, phones and small quantities of cash during a search of his house. When police carried out a subsequent search of his sister’s house, they found a bag that had previously been dropped off by McAllister.

Within that bag was a mobile phone linked to McAllister which contained incriminating messages that demonstrated his involvement in the source and supply of cocaine and adulterant.

The bag also contained bottles of THC, cash totalling £10,000, scales containing traces of cocaine and four watches valued cumulatively between £23,000 and £30,000.

Both men will now face confiscation under Proceeds of Crime laws to recover monies illegally obtained. McAllister has also been made subject of a Serious Crime Prevention Order for a period of five years on his release from custody which is designed to prevent him from re-offending.