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Drug Profits Recovered

THE FATHER of two convicted Stranraer drugs dealers has been forced to hand over £165,000 - profits of drugs dealings by his two sons.

The Court of Session in Edinburgh on Tuesday ordered forfeiture of the money - the largest amount recovered under civil recovery anywhere in Britain.

Alexander Allison (57), a part-time television repair man, had failed to come up with a legitimate explanation why he had so much money and settled the civil action by the Crown Office out of court. The ruling was formalised in a hearing at the Court of Session.

Norman and Mark Allison are serving lengthy prison sentences, just some of those caught by police in the Operation Emperor undercover operation. However their father has not been convicted of a criminal offence in relation to the money.

The Crown Office had considered prosecuting him for money laundering but there was not enough evidence. The cash, it is said, was moved from one bank to another and then used to buy bonds by Mr Allison snr. Its existence was uncovered by police intelligence gathering. And it was frozen under the proceeds of Crime Act last year amid claims it came from his sons' heroin empire.