A YOKER resident is one of four men who are behind bars after a massive £10 million cocaine raid.

James Davidson, 58, and his fellow accused David Mullarkey, 47, Ellis Hardy, 42, and Wayne Smith, 39, were snared after detectives swooped at Hillington Industrial Estate in Glasgow on June 22, 2019.

They were shifting the huge 30kg high-purity haul from a HGV truck to a van at the site, where Mullarkey ran a kitchen firm.

Davidson had earlier driven the lorry, which appeared to be legitimately transporting £15,000 of Belgian waffles.

But it emerged the consignment had been hidden in secret specially-adapted compartments in both vehicles.

The four had been due to stand trial, but each pleaded guilty to a charge of being involved in the transportation and distribution of cocaine.

They were remanded in custody and will learn their fate next month.

Mullarkey's lawyer Dale Hughes told Tuesday's court hearing: "He was the owner of the premises. At the time, he was in difficult financial circumstances."

The High Court in Glasgow heard how police had initially been keeping tabs on Hardy.

He and Smith were first clocked together in a van the day before the raid.

They eventually travelled to Hillington Industrial Estate where Davidson had also driven to in his HGV.

Mullarkey, who ran DM Kitchens, based on the estate, was then spotted by police.

The watching cops heard banging, sawing and drilling between both vehicles before officers swooped on the men.

Prosecutor Greg Farrell said: "The cocaine recovered from within the van had previously been concealed in the HGV driven by Davidson.

"Both had been adapted to create concealed spaces. 

"On June 22, at DM Kitchens, the four were in the process of removing the cocaine from the lorry and secreting it in the van for onward distribution."

The taped packages of drugs had a purity of up to 84 per cent.

Mr Farrell said the cocaine had a potential value of £9.96 million.

Police also found encrypted mobile phones, but were unable to access any data on them.

Sentencing on Davidson, Mullarkey, of Stepps, Lanarkshire, as well as Hardy and Smith, both of Mitcham, London, was deferred for reports until February 15 in Edinburgh.

Judge Jamie Gilchrist also continued consideration of the four being hit with serious crime prevention order curfews.