A policeman wept on Friday after he was cleared of seven charges of assaulting drug suspects and breaching the peace.
Russell Gillespie, a former member of Tayside Police drugs squad, hugged his partner as he left the dock, thanking the jury of eight women and five men as he did so.
Mr Gillespie had originally been charged with 11 offences, mainly against drug dealers, including striking one of them on the head and hand with a baton, and punching three others in the face after they had been detained.
Four of the charges were dropped by the Crown during the nine-day trial.
The jury unanimously found him not guilty of six of the remaining charges and by a majority on the remaining charge.
He had denied the charges, which were spread across various locations in Dundee, Perth and Angus, dating back to 2009.
Following the acquittal, David Hamilton, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation North Area Committee, said: “Russell is obviously relieved that this case is now over and that the jury has acquitted him.
“This tactic of making false allegations was used by the Tayside drug dealing fraternity to try and discredit one of the area’s finest drug squad officers.”
Mr Gillespie, who has been suspended by Police Scotland since the allegations were raised, is now expected to resume his career with the force.