Seven men jailed for involvement in £400,000 drugs and dirty money operation in Scotland

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 were caught by detectives, who also found hundreds of messages and photos linked to high-level dealing.

On Monday, Richard Parvin, 38, Neil Brown, 34, Francis Ross snr, 47, George McLean, 32, Francis Ross jr 22, Craig Mitchell, 30, and 34-year-old John Cord were sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow having all earlier admitted involvement in the crime.

The drug trafficking occurred at a number of locations in 2019 mainly in Dundee.

Dog breeder Parvin was handed the stiffest jail-term by judge Lord Weir of seven years and four months.

Brown was locked up for three years, Ross snr for two years and ten months and McLean for five years and five months.

Ross jr was jailed for three and a half years with Mitchell and Cord each both sentenced to two years and two months.

In his sentencing remarks, the judge said the “abhorrent” operation could have “caused considerable damage in the wider community”.

Prosecutor Owen Mullan told a hearing last month how the crew were watched as part of the Operation Boost police probe.

Parvin was initially stopped on May 8 2019 in a car on the A90 Dundee to Perth road.

Police seized £12,550 of dirty cash from the hired Vauxhall.

His phone was also taken but – after eventually being freed – he went on to use another mobile.

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.”

Lord Weir was shown photos of packages of cocaine embossed with logos of different well-known companies.

Messages from a WhatsApp group also referred to large quantities of money indicating a “very high level” of dealing.

Detectives went on to make a string of other drug busts linked to the probe.

This included a cocaine handover at Ross jr’s home in Dundee after he was met by McLean.

Police went on to find £319,000 of the drug in a clothes shop bag as well as £10,000 of heroin.

The home of Ross snr in Dundee was also raided where a further £24,000 of heroin was discovered.

Brown meantime was linked to drugs being found in a Peugeot 109 on May 29 2019 after two men were seen running from the vehicle in the city.

Mr Mullan said this included his wallet being found in the motor.

The court heard £2,120 of heroin as well as a batch of street Valium pills were found.

Mitchell and Cord were held by police 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 jr, Mitchell and Cord…showed them to be in ’round robin’ communication discussing the supply of drugs.”

McLean was held in Easterhouse, Glasgow and police initially 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 further told other drug-related items were discovered during the probe including a hydraulic press and scales.

The group are all from Dundee apart from Parvin, of Motherwell, Lanarkshire, and McLean, who still had an address in Easterhouse.

They all pled guilty to being concerned at different levels in the supply of drugs.