Mechanic Ordered to Repay £1 After Supplying Gangs with Firearms
A mechanic who allegedly earned up to £350,000 by supplying dozens of firearms to gangs has been ordered to repay just £1.
Allan Hughes, 30, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison in January after police uncovered his role in selling weapons to criminals across Europe and the UK.
Prosecutors stated they could not identify any criminal assets belonging to Hughes following a proceeds of crime investigation initiated by the Crown.
Judge Alison Stirling issued the nominal repayment order during a hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Hughes, from Clydebank, was already serving a drug trafficking sentence when officers seized a mobile phone containing incriminating videos and messages in May 2024.
The evidence included a recording of Hughes handling various firearms, such as a Beretta pistol, a Turkish hunting firearm, and an additional self-loading pistol.
The Edinburgh court heard that Hughes generated £350,000 from supplying weapons between 17 July 2023 and 31 May 2024.
Prosecutor Bryan Heaney explained that no criminal assets had been identified but noted the Crown could revisit the case if any assets were discovered later.
"Under the terms of the legislation, in the event of money or property belonging to Mr Hughes being identified, the Crown will be able to return to court."
Continuation and Escalation
During sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow earlier this year, Lord Cubie stated the firearms Hughes handled were valued at "in excess of £200,000."
Hughes, who used the alias "Ali G," communicated with seven individuals and exchanged messages concerning "at least" 42 different firearms.
A video found on the seized Samsung phone did not reveal Hughes' face but showed him demonstrating the mechanisms of three different handguns.
He pleaded guilty to involvement in serious organised crime.
Additionally, Hughes was implicated in a £15,000 heroin transaction with a man from Liverpool in Clydebank in June 2024.
Almost £20,000 was also discovered in the van of this individual.
Defence lawyer Graeme Brown described the gun crime as "a continuation and escalation" of Hughes' prior drug trafficking activities.
Hughes was also issued a three-year Serious Crime Prevention Order, commonly known as a super-ASBO, intended to monitor and restrict offenders upon release from prison.
