Two Scottish fugitives accused of leading an organised crime empire are thought to have been kidnapped and murdered by a gang in Brazil.
Officers pursuing brothers James, 48, and Barry Gillespie, 44, told their relatives that they “may have come to harm” on the run in South America.
Sources have told the Daily Record that the pair had a dispute with gangsters in Fortaleza, a city in northeastern Brazil, over protection money.
The Gillespie brothers, from Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, are alleged to have been large-scale cocaine dealers with links to violence and firearms dealing. Earlier this year, it was reported that they were hiding in Brazil after being hunted as part of a major international investigation.
Sources said that their relationship deteriorated after local gangsters began demanding more money for protecting them and helping them avoid capture.
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“They were paying through the nose for protection. The guys wanted too much money,” they said. The insider added that people were told that one of the brothers was held hostage while the other was told to find the money.
“No one has heard anything from either of them for months, not even their closest friends and family,” they told the newspaper. “Everyone thinks they’re dead.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police Scotland officers have been in contact with the families of James and Barry Gillespie after inquiries have led them to believe that both men may have come to harm. However, extensive inquiries to trace both men are continuing and anyone with information about their current whereabouts should contact Police Scotland.”
The Gillespie brothers, along with three other known associates, are wanted by Interpol and detectives working on Operation Escalade, an investigation into one of Scotland’s top organised crime groups.
European arrest warrants were issued for the pair in 2019, in connection with an abduction and attempted murder in 2015 as well as directing serious organised crime throughout the UK and Europe.