Infamous Scottish drug dealing immigrant to be deported - Completed a 25 year US sentence after a double murder
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2025 1:11 pm
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MACCLENNY, FLORIDA - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has said that it has "arrested and plans to remove" a Scottish double killer following his release from jail in Florida.
Phillip Harkins - originally from Greenock - is currently being detained at the Baker County Detention Center in Macclenny, Florida.
In a statement, ICE said that Harkins served a 25-year prison sentence for the murder of a United States citizen during a drug deal in 1999.
He was ordered removed by an immigration judge in August 2002.
Harkins was released on bail and returned to Scotland in 2002 but was jailed in 2003 after being convicted of killing a woman in a road crash in Greenock.
He then fought being sent back to the US, resulting in one of Britain’s longest running extradition battles. The case twice went to the European Court of Human Rights before Harkins was eventually sent to Florida in July 2017.
"On Feb. 4, 2000, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested Harkins for homicide. After posting bond, he fled to Scotland to evade the pending charges in Duval County, Florida.
"Following a prolonged extradition legal battle in Scotland, Harkins was extradited to the U.S. and convicted of murder and first-degree armed robbery on May 17, 2018. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, with credit for 5,631 days served in the United Kingdom for other crimes."
ICE ERO Miami Field Office Director Garrett Ripa said: “ICE will not allow criminal illegal aliens to evade justice or remain in the U.S. unlawfully.
“This arrest underscores our unwavering commitment to enforcing immigration laws and removing dangerous individuals who threaten the safety and security of our communities. Illegal aliens who violate our laws and harm American citizens will face the full force of law for their crimes and then will be removed from the U.S.”
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/254 ... da-prison/