A GANGSTER who made almost £2million has been ordered to pay back just £125,000 – and can use designer trainers and watches as part of the wealth handover.
Paul ‘The Captain’ Fleming – sidekick of ‘richer than Rolex’ kingpin James ‘The Don’ White – raked in a fortune from a global drugs racket.
But the 40-year-old has been allowed to even used flash gear he bought from his ill-gotten gains to help him pay back the total he now owes through Proceeds of Crime laws.
The hood yesterday agreed to hand over a haul of luxury goods he splashed out on before he was nicked.
During a brief hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh Fleming was present as a judge was told that a settlement in the proceedings was agreed.
Defence counsel Allan Macleod, for Fleming, told judge Lord Cubie it was agreed that the benefit from general criminal conduct in his case was £1,841,903 and the available amount for a confiscation order was £125,970.
Mr Macleod said that almost £50,000 of the assets identified was money that was already held by the authorities.
He said the remainder was made up of “high value” goods, including trainers and three designer watches.
He told the court: “There is an agreement these goods are to be surrendered to the Police Service of Scotland.”
He said Fleming has signed a mandate authorising the release of the trainers, by brands such as Jimmy Choo, and watches to police.
Mr Macleod told the court that he understood the police would sell the items and if the sale achieved more or less than the estimated value then there would be an application to vary the terms of the settlement.
“It could be more valuable or less valuable,” the defence counsel told the court.
Lord Cubie made a confiscation order against Fleming for £125,970.96.
Fleming is serving a nine-year jail sentence for his role in a serious organised crime group involved in trafficking drugs and guns.
He was the lieutenant to boss White who took over the crime empire of James and Barry Gillespie who disappeared in Brazil in 2019.
White is currently serving a nine year and 10 month prison sentence.
Fleming was extradited from Spain after fighting his return by attempting to claim asylum in the European country before pleading guilty to directing others involved in serious and organised crime to commit offences on his return to Scotland.
He was involved, over a four year period, in arranging the importation of banned firearms and ammunition, the bringing in, supply and sale of cocaine and cannabis and hiding and transferring “dirty money” from crime throughout the UK and Europe.
A fake solar panel firm was used as a front to bring narcotics into the country and some of the cash from illegal activities was laundered through the purchase of designer watches.
Fleming, of Kirkintilloch, admitted directing five gang members involved in the large-scale plot between December 2017 and January 2022 at locations in Scotland, England and Spain.
Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “Proceeds of Crime orders are a vital tool to disrupt crime in Scotland and one of the many ways we can target those who try to profit from illegal activity.
“We will not stop at prosecution. The Crown has the power to extend orders to seize money and assets Paul Fleming acquires in the future to pay back the full amount he made from his crimes.
“The money recovered is reinvested into our communities through the Cashback for Communities programme.”
