Scots gangster behind plan to smuggle cocaine in dog food jailed for seven years

A gangster behind plans to import more than £1m of cocaine into Scotland hidden in dog food has been jailed for seven years. William Byrne , 41, was sentenced to seven years and four months in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh on Monday, 25 May, 2026, for organised crime and drug offences. He was behind a scheme to bring large quantities of the class A drug into the country in June 2020.

Police Scotland and elite investigators from the National Crime Agency raided Byrne’s firm in Bathgate, West Lothian, on June 22 that year and found 15 kilos of cocaine hidden in 26 bags of dog food. Byrne was arrested and extradited from Portugal after spending five years avoiding arrest. A gangster, once described as being among the UK’s most wanted, directed the importation of more than £1m of cocaine in Scotland, hidden in dog food. Byrne, originally of Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde, pleaded guilty to a charge under section 30 (1) A of the Criminal Justice Licensing Scotland Act 2010 – the legislation criminalises directing serious organised crime.

Following his sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Laura Sands, said: “I hope this sends a message to those involved in serious and organised crime and drugs that you will be caught and you will face the consequences. “Byrne’s involvement in this type of crime spanned across Europe and we worked with international partners, alongside law enforcement agencies in the UK and abroad, to ensure Byrne could be held accountable for his leading part in a sophisticated criminal enterprise, bringing drugs into our country with no regard for the harm and misery they cause. “There is no place for this type of criminality in our communities and we will continue to work with partner agencies to tackle this and make our communities safer.” Alan O’Brien, Branch Commander for the NCA in Scotland, said: “William Byrne is a dangerous criminal, working internationally with the aim of flooding Scotland with lethal drugs. “The NCA worked closely with our law enforcement colleagues overseas and Police Scotland to track Byrne down and return him to the UK to face justice for his crimes. “We will continue to work with partners to protect the public from serious and organised criminals like Byrne who cause harm to our local communities.”