EXCLUSIVERingleader of a network of cocaine-dealing soldiers later travelled to fight in Ukraine following the Russian invasion

The ringleader of a ‘network’ of cocaine-dealing soldiers later travelled to fight in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, MailOnline can reveal.

Claudius Scott, 31, volunteered to fight in Ukraine in March 2022 – 13 months after he left the military as the net closed in on the cocaine dealing operation.

The shamed ex-serviceman spoke to MailOnline at the Medyka border crossing in Poland as he prepared to cross into Ukraine that month, just weeks after Russian troops invaded.

Rifleman Scott, from London, said he had served six years with 5th Battalion The Rifles, at Bulford in Wiltshire before returning to Civvy Street.

He told our reporter: ‘I’ve got the experience and the skill that the Ukrainians could use, I don’t have any family commitments so I’m happy to go – I’ve got my helmet and body armour with me and I know what I’m doing.

Ex-Rifleman Claudius Scott (Pictured outside of Bulford Military Court) was the ringleader of a quartet of British soldiers who dealt thousands in cocaine to colleagues

Rfn Scott, 28, (pictured) served six years with 5th Battalion The Rifles, at Bulford, Wiltshire

Rifleman Ryan Saedi (Pictured) was  Scotts second-in-command and ran the operation during the week. He had also helped source larger quantities of cocaine during COVID

Lance Corporal Bradley Hesketh, 27, and Rifleman Ashleigh Walker (Pictured) were two trusted dealers

‘The British Army is one of the best trained military forces in the world so I want to put all that training to use and help because what is going on in Ukraine is wrong.’

Bulford Military Court heard this week how Rfn Scott headed a network of four Riflemen at the Wiltshire barracks who sold almost £100,000 of cocaine to fellow military personnel between January 2018 and December 2020.

Rfn Scott spoke to MailOnline at the Poland-Ukrainian border in 2022 in support of an unidentified 19-year-old Coldstream Guardsman who had gone AWOL at the time after telling family and friends he was fed up with ‘standing around’. The soldier was thought to have travelled to fight alongside Ukrainians on the front line.

He said: ’I can see why those guys wanted to go. They wanted to do what they thought was right and fight the enemy.

‘That’s what they are trained to do, that’s what I was trained to do and although I didn’t go on any battle tours I did plenty of military exercises in Estonia, Canada and Latvia.

I’m Ok I served, did my time, I’m out and so I can go but I can see why those guys who went AWOL wanted to go and do their bit by helping out. I stand with them and fully support them.’

It is understood Rfn Scott left the Army of his own accord in early 2021 but was arrested within a matter of weeks.    

Rfn Scott was dealing cocaine to fellow military personnel and had four other members of the 5 Rifles Battalion deal on his behalf. 

He is believed to have played a part in up to 671 grams of the total cocaine sold. 

Second-in-command was Rifleman Ryan Saedi, worked with fellow trusted dealers Lance Corporal Bradley Hesketh, 27, and Rifleman Ashleigh Walker.

Rfn Saedi had implemented a double bubble system, which required any cash-strapped colleagues who borrowed off him, to repay double the amount on their next pay day

In a text to his brother, he said of his borrowers: These man are giving me sob stories - their cat died, they got to pay for the funeral, I dont give two f***s.

The group of cocaine drug dealers would flog a gram of cocaine for £90 each, pocketing £10 for themselves from each sale, the court heard. 

Rfn Saedi was said to have been a major part in the operation, and was said to be in charge during the week. 

He had also helped source larger quantities of cocaine after the COVID lockdown impacted its availability in March 2020. 

Rfn Scott and Rfn Saedi, who are both 31, earned more than £40,000 each from their crimes 

Saedi was estimated to have been involved in the supply of 100g of cocaine, while Rfn Walker, 29, and LCpl were anticipated to have been involved in 160g worth of sales.

The quartet - who were all part of 5 Rifles Battalion - have all admitted conspiracy to supply drugs.

Prosecutor Will Martin told the court the network of drug dealing took place during a near-three year period between January 2018 and December 2020.

Scott, Saedi, Walker and Hesketh all played a role in supplying [cocaine] to other service personnel, he said.

Rfn Scott, 31,  kept a comprehensive list of people who owed him money on a notes app on his phone made over £40,000 from his crimes

One of his Rfn Saedis loan customers was 20-year-old Rfn Nathan Worner (Pictured), who tragically killed himself at Bulford Barracks in May 2020. Before his death he was paying Saedi £900 every pay day after taking out the double bubble loan

He said following an analysis of messages and bank statements, a conservative estimate to the total cocaine sold was one kilogram.

Mr Martin continued: The conspiracy was straight forward.

Larger amount of cocaine would be sourced from West London and sold onto service personnel. It was well known they were drug dealers.

The cocaine itself would be paid for in cash or bank transfer with profits derived from a mark up to £90 to £100 a gram which the defendants could charge due to restricted access in the barracks.

The court also heard how the quartet would also cut their product with a Pro Plus caffeine product.

Rfn Scott kept a comprehensive list of people who owed him money on a notes app on his phone.

In separate messages read to the court, LCpl Hesketh boasted about money he had been making in the drug deals.

When one cocaine package arrived, he texted an accomplice: Were going to need to do some magic work to it.

In another message exchange, Rfn Scott expressed some concern about LCpl Heskeths lack of discretion after he was spotted wearing a Rolex and new Christian Louboutin shoes.

After telling him to chill, LCpl Hesketh replied: Okay my G, my bad.

When he was told it wouldnt take long for people to work out where he was getting his money if he continued, he responded: They ask me and I just say, Forex [foreign currency] trading.

LCpl Hesketh was arrested in December 2020, when his wallet tested positive for cocaine. He admitted keeping the drug in his room on Rfn Scotts behalf.

When Rfn Scott was arrested and was found with £6,000 in cash. 

His mother, Alison Blackwell, said although Rfn Saedi was not directly responsible, she was haunted by the thought of his influence on her sons death

An examination of his bank accounts established he had received £45,000 which could be attributed to drug sales.

Rfn Walker had also received a large number of £90 payments which totalled £20,500 and was taken into custody in December 2021.

Upon his arrest, Rfn Saedi denied any involvement in selling cocaine and originally claimed he had made his money from his pay day loan scheme.

The court heard there was a culture of money lending at high interest rates within the battalion.

Rfn Saedi had implemented a double bubble system, which required any cash-strapped colleagues who borrowed off him, to repay double the amount on their next pay day.

It was heard Rfn Saedi had received £43,000 worth of payments during his scheme, which sometimes involved him demanding passports as a security deposit.

The court heard he would persistently chase down those who owed him money, pressuring and threatening them to take out other loans to pay his off.

In a text to his brother, he said of his borrowers: These man are giving me sob stories - their cat died, they got to pay for the funeral, I dont give two f***s.

One of his customers was 20-year-old Rfn Nathan Worner, who tragically killed himself at Bulford Barracks in May 2020.

After receiving payments of nearly £3,000 in the months before his death, it was heard he failed to repay Rfn Saedi on time.

As a result Rfn Saedi got Rfn Worners home address and included it in a message which said: Bruv send me my money or Im coming to your house.

The court heard he eventually got Rfn Worner on a payment plan, where he would send him up to £900 a month on pay day before his death.

In a statement read to the court, his mother, Alison Blackwell, said although Rfn Saedi was not directly responsible, she was haunted by the thought of his influence on her sons death.

I believe their greed and intimidation would have at least contributed to his state of mind, she said.

The quartet - who were all part of 5 Rifles Battalion - have all admitted conspiracy to supply drugs. Sentencing continues at Bulford Military Court (Pictured)

Although Rfn Saedi has not been prosecuted in relation to his death, Mr Martin said: [He] loaned money to vulnerable people and was, at best, indifferent to their plight.

In relation to his loaning scheme, Rfn Saedi admitted conduct prejudicial to good order.

He also admitted disobedience of lawful command, after he tried to contact LCpl Heskeths partner after their arrest.

LCpl Hasketh has also admitted possession of criminal property for holding Rfn Scotts money and cocaine.

Rfn Scott and Rfn Saedi have both since left the army.

The sentencing hearing continues.