Dundee woman who fled Scotland jailed for drugs and serious organised crime offences

A woman from Dundee, who fled from Scotland to Bulgaria, has today, Thursday, 3 September 2020, been sentenced to almost six years in prison for drug offences and being involved in serious organised crime.

Police Scotland officers have welcomed the sentencing of Morag Yorston, who was jailed for 5 years and 11 months at the High Court in Glasgow, after she had pled guilty to supplying heroin and cocaine in July last year.

The 55-year-old was one of 17 people arrested during Operation Boost - a joint Tayside Division and Organised Crime Unit investigation into the supply of Class A controlled drugs by organised criminals in the city following a high level of deaths believed to be drug related.

Between July and October 2018, the initiative saw officers seize approximately 6 kilograms of heroin and a kilogram of cocaine, with a combined street value of over £380,000, as well as £12,000 in cash.

In September 2019, while on bail, Yorston failed to appear at the High Court in Glasgow for sentencing. Enquiries established that she had fled with her husband, who is a Bulgarian national, and a European Arrest Warrant was granted. On 4 March this year the warrant was executed and she was arrested by the Bulgarian authorities and extradited back to Scotland on 2 July.

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Fotheringham said:"Operation Boost was a complex and protracted investigation which identified Yorston of playing a significant role in an organised crime group intent in bringing misery to our communities. Police Scotland works hard with local, national and international partners to make Tayside and the rest of Scotland a hostile environment for those involved in this sort of criminality. I welcome the sentencing handed to Yorston which also underlines how seriously the courts view such activities."

Chief Inspector David McIntosh, Area Commander for Tayside Division, added:
"The success of Operation Boost and the sentencing of Yorston shows our unwavering commitment to targeting serious organised criminals in Tayside and disrupting their activities, to protect the most vulnerable people in our communities."

Yorston becomes the eight person to be sent to prison following her arrest as part of Operation Boost. Three women and four men have already been convicted and sentenced to a total of over 17 years in prison. A male youth was ordered to spend 16 months in a Young Offenders Institution and a woman received a five month Restriction of Liberty Order.