A gang involved in a £400,000 drugs and dirty money operation have been jailed for a total of more than 26 years.
The seven-strong mob was snared by detectives who found hundreds of messages and photos linked to high-level dealing.
The drug trafficking occurred at locations in 2019, mainly in Dundee.
Dog breeder Richard Parvin, 38, from Motherwell, was handed the stiffest jail-term by judge Lord Weir – seven years and four months.
He appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Glasgow with his accomplices from Dundee – Neil Brown, Francis Ross senior, Craig Mitchell, Francis Ross junior and John Cord.
George McLean, 32, from Easterhouse in Glasgow, made up the gang, who all admitted their involvement at various levels of the scheme at an earlier appearance.
Brown, 34, was locked up for three years, Ross senior, 47, for two years and 10 months and McLean, for five years and five months.
22-year-old Ross junior was jailed for three and a half years, with Mitchell, 30, and Cord, 34, each sentenced to 26 months.
In his sentencing remarks, the judge said the “abhorrent” operation could have “caused considerable damage in the wider community”.
‘Smoking gun’ phone and cash seized
Prosecutor Owen Mullan told last month’s hearing how the crew were watched as part of the Operation Boost police probe.
Parvin was stopped on May 8 2019 in a hired Vauxhall on the A90 Dundee to Perth road.
£12,550 of dirty cash was seized, along with his phone.
He was later freed and began using another phone.
Mr Mullan said: “This was later seized and showed various images of blocks of cocaine, high value tick-lists and hundreds of messages that he was actively involved in the supply of controlled drugs.”
Photos of packages of cocaine embossed with logos of different well-known companies were shown to the judge.
Messages from a WhatsApp group referred to large quantities of money, indicating a “very high level” of dealing.
Drug busts across Dundee
Detectives went on to make a string of other drug busts linked to the investigation, including during a cocaine handover at Ross junior’s home in Dundee after he was met by McLean.
Police found £319,000 of the drug in a clothes shop bag, as well as £10,000 of heroin.
Ross senior’s home in Dundee was also raided and a further £24,000 of heroin was discovered.
Brown meantime was linked to drugs found in a Peugeot 109 on May 29 2019 after two men were seen running from the vehicle in the city.
He had left his wallet in the car, along with £2,120 of heroin as well as at batch of street Valium pills were found.
Mitchell and Cord were held after an Audi A3 was seen repeatedly circling one of the raided properties during a search.
Mr Mullan said: “An examination of mobile phones used by Brown, Ross junior, Mitchell and Cord…showed them to be in ’round robin’ communication discussing the supply of drugs.”
McLean was held in Easterhouse and police found £12,000 in cash, which he claimed was for a car.
Officers seized around £1,600 of heroin at two properties linked to him.
The hearing was told other drug-related items were discovered, including a hydraulic press and scales.
DCI welcomed sentence
Police Scotland said the men were among 57 people arrested during an operation to combat the supply of Class A drugs across Tayside.
Detective Chief Inspector Iain McPhail, of Police Scotland’s Specialist Crime Division, said: “Following a complex investigation seven people are now in jail and no longer bringing drugs onto the streets and into our communities and I welcome the sentencing.
“We will not hesitate to tackle organised drug crime and Police Scotland is committed to bringing those responsible for the production and sale of drugs to justice.”
