Drug-dealing mortgage advisor James Mangan jailed
A mortgage advisor who was caught with cocaine and cannabis with a street value of more than £1m has been jailed for seven years and four months.
James Mangan, 53, was caught with three kilos of high purity cocaine at his home in Chryston, North Lanarkshire, in February this year.
The following month, while on bail, Mangan and another man were caught with 17 kilos of cannabis in Glasgow.
He will now be pursued by prosecutors under proceeds of crime legislation.
Prior to sentence, the High Court in Edinburgh heard how police learned that Mangan would be turning up for a drugs transaction at a Chinese restaurant, near Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire last November.
A surveillance team saw Mangan hand a package to the driver of the other car who was later stopped near Baillieston, Glasgow.
The package was found to contain about half a kilo of high purity cocaine which had a potential street value of £160,000.
During further surveillance in January this year, police saw Mangan make another exchange, which was later found to be a further half kilo of cocaine.
Officers searched Mangan's home in February and discovered cash, £35,920 and more than three kilos of high purity cocaine. They also found scales, latex gloves and boxes of glucose.
Drug squad experts believed that cocaine could have been further cut to produce over 20 kilos for sale worth up to £1m.
After Mangan was later freed on bail police saw him take part in another drugs transaction the following month in the car park of a hotel in Livingston, West Lothian.
Mangan and another man were later stopped in Maryhill, Glasgow, and found with 17 kilos of cannabis.
He later admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug cocaine between November last year and February this year.
He also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of the Class B drug cannabis on 24 March this year after having been granted bail.
Jailing him, Lord Turnbull said: "It seems to me as a matter of free choice and in order to make large sums of money you engaged in criminal conduct.
"You participated in drug dealing at a high level and in a hands on manner."