Declan Price, a 29-year-old foot soldier for notorious drug kingpin Paul Easdon, was sentenced to 40 months in prison this week for his role in a multi-million pound cocaine operation. Price was arrested in August 2024 in Glasgow's Sandyhills area, where police found him clutching two carrier bags containing blocks of cocaine worth £300,000. The drugs were linked to Easdon after his DNA was discovered on the packages.
Easdon's Criminal Empire
Paul Easdon, a 38-year-old former plant hire worker from Strathaven, operated under the EncroChat nickname "glasgowceltic" and boasted that his cartel was making £4 million per month from cocaine sales alone. His network included ex-Mr Scotland bodybuilder John Barry McDuff, who used the handle "Reverselily," and another criminal known as "mrr-Rangers." Discussions on the encrypted platform included purchasing cocaine at £40,000 per kilogram, with transactions such as "mrr-Rangers" paying Easdon £320,000 and an additional £100,000 to be collected in Johnstone.
Easdon communicated with associates about different cocaine grades, including "Chanel" and "CR7," and advised them on avoiding detection, including purchasing a hydraulic press for drug preparation and packaging. Prosecutors stated that the network sold over 100 kilograms of cocaine per month at a minimum price of £40,000 per kilogram.
Rivalry with Jamie 'the Iceman' Stevenson
Easdon's operation grew so large that it clashed with international drug trafficker Jamie 'the Iceman' Stevenson, one of the UK's most wanted fugitives. The rivalry led to Stevenson allegedly ordering firebomb attacks on a hair salon in Hamilton owned by Easdon's wife. Stevenson was later brought down by evidence from EncroChat after masterminding a plot to smuggle nearly a tonne of cocaine worth £100 million in a banana shipment from Ecuador.
EncroChat Downfall
European authorities dismantled the EncroChat network, leading to thousands of arrests. Easdon was caught after his EncroChat activity was monitored. He pleaded guilty in September 2024 to being involved in serious organised crime and was sentenced to six years imprisonment the following month. McDuff was jailed for seven years in September 2024 after admitting to a similar charge. Price pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine and received a 40-month sentence. Easdon also faces sentencing next month for the same charge.
