Abstract
This chapter examines the inner workings of Glasgow’s drug economy and the criminal actualisation of gang, whereby it transforms its existing recreational and criminal networks into something more entrepreneurial, purposeful, and goal-oriented, namely the commission of market-based crimes and the provision of illegal goods and services for profit. Beyond gang evolution and organisation, this chapter explores our respondents’ own struggles with substance abuse and addiction.
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Notes
- 1.
Nightclubs like Arches and Sub Club were raves or dance clubs which had become synonymous with ecstasy use over the decades and took a highly lenient approach to users, thus attracting a certain kind of clientele. Other nightclubs were not so tolerant and thus cocaine was favoured by recreational attendees.
- 2.
Core member of Hillland Young Team. His uncle had been notorious firearms dealer during a notorious drug feud in LTC.
- 3.
Income from this source was not distributed to the group as a whole but rather Raph and Ricky kept it for themselves.
- 4.
The trust afforded to Greg by the group was based largely upon his friendship with Raph and in terms of criminal activities. Several group members had fought side by side with Greg when football games got out of hand and mass brawls started and during these brawls, Greg showed that he was “game” and an ample fighter who would not “grass” if questioned by authorities and police. But until now there had been little opportunity to test this trust through criminal enterprise.
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McLean, R., Densley, J.A. (2020). Show Me the Money. In: Scotland’s Gang Members. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47752-3_7
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