A gangster who was once said to be “rich enough to buy out Rolex” made more than £126 million from his life of crime, prosecutors claim.

Crown lawyers reckon James White, 46, pocketed £126,241,000 during the time he acted as the kingpin of a gang branded “the most prolific and sophisticated in Scotland”.

White, of Gartcosh, Lanarkshire, was a member of an organised crime group known for its dealings in drugs, guns, serious violence and dirty money. He was jailed for almost 10 years earlier this year after being extradited back to Scotland from Brazil.

The matter, which is being contested by White’s lawyers, will be heard in court later this year. It is thought to be the biggest sum sought by the Crown in a proceeds of crime action in Scotland.

A court earlier heard how White rose to take control of the gang, which forged links with other underworld figures across the globe.

He left Scotland when associates were arrested during ‘Operation Escalade’, Police Scotland’s probe into the group.

Becoming one of the UK’s most wanted men, he was initially caught, using a false passport, in Italy in 2020. Police there mistakenly let him go and he escaped to South America. After a large-scale manhunt, he was found again, several months later, by armed police in rented accomodation in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza using the name Vincent McCall, of Suriname.

White pleaded guilty in June to directing serious and organised crime, from May 2013 to March this year. Prosecutor Scott McKenzie said the gang ran a criminal operation on an international scale.

He said: “James White is a senior member and has been described as being at the ‘top table’ directly below James and Barry Gillespie.

“His position of seniority is evident from the responsibility and authority that he holds. He was in regular, direct communication with the Gillespie brothers and other high-ranking members.”

The court also heard that one of White’s main roles was running the gang’s drugs operation, responsible for distribution around Europe.

Mr McKenzie said: “He spoke fluent Spanish, which assisted the crime group in dealing with associates. He often based himself in Spain for this purpose.”

He was linked to a £10million cocaine seizure after a lorry was stopped by Border Force officials in Dover in November 2017. It had arrived from Alicante in Spain bound for a fake company set up by the gang in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

The court heard how hidden spaces in the truck had been constructed to conceal 90 taped blocks of cocaine. It emerged 16 other shipments to Rochdale had been made over the previous two years.

Mr McKenzie said: “Following the seizure, White informed another group member that he was responsible for packaging the drugs and was worried that his DNA would be found.”