The sentencing of a Glasgow gang who trafficked drugs has been welcomed.
Grant Jaap, 30, Paul Martin, 43, and Peter Dickson, 34 - who trafficked a 'significant amount' of Class A drugs into the central belt of Scotland - have been caged for a total of 13 years and three months.
Martin - who was extradited from Spain to stand trial - and the other two men pleaded guilty at Glasgow High Court in March to being involved in serious and organised crime between March and June 2020.
On top of that, Jaap also pleaded guilty to being involved in serious and organised crime on a date in May 2021.
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On Friday, May 10, the three accused re-appeared before Judge Lord Matthews at the High Court in Edinburgh for sentencing.
Japp, of Shettleston, Glasgow, was given three years and four months.
Martin, of Uddingston, Lanarkshire, was jailed for five years and eight months whilst Dickson, of Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, was ordered to serve four years and three months.
Martin and Dickson were also both given Serious Crime Prevention Orders for a period of three years.
The orders will come into effect once they are released from prison.
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The prosecution of the trio followed an intelligence-led operation by Police Scotland into an organised crime group in Glasgow and the surrounding areas involved in the supply of diamorphine and cocaine.
The investigation carried out by cops is also linked to Operation Venetic - a European investigation into encrypted communication devices which used the Encrochat platform.
During the operation, officers identified Paul Martin with the Encrochat user handle 'Happy.com', Peter Dickson with the username 'Tubbyraven', and Grant Jaap as 'Lividbeta'.
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Following this, cops established that Martin was in charge of the gang and the adulteration and distribution of Class A drugs across Scotland's central belt.
According to the COPFS, the 43-year-old was able to source large quantities of drugs through his connections with other organised crime members.
Meanwhile, Dickson - who was Martin's second in command - was involved in the buying the selling of drugs.
Whereas, Jaap stored, adulterated, and distributed multi-kilo quantities of cocaine and diamorphine on behalf of Martin.
Martin then left the country in March 2021 and was arrested in Tenerife, Spain, in August 2022 - before being extradited to Scotland to stand trial.
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During the hearings, the court heard the prosecutor describe how all three used Encrochat to conduct their business.
These chats included one from Jaap to Martin on March 27, 2020, with pictures of clingfilm-wrapped one-kilogram packages of cocaine embossed with an 'Oakley' stamp.
Then on April 15, 2020, another Encro user sent Dickson an image of a kilo block of cocaine.
They discussed the stamp the block bore and the supply of heroin.
Following that, a subsequent conversation between Dickson and Martin discussed offering the unknown user heroin at £18,000 per kilo.
Another chat on April 16, 2020, revealed Martin joked with Dickson that he ought to be working harder saying: "how am a meant to get away and chill in the sun if you aren't working".
Messages were then exchanged about the delivery of cocaine and the poor quality of blocks of white powder with an Audi logo embossed upon it.
Meanwhile, another message on May 14, 2020, saw Martin tell Dickson to do some work over the weekend rather than 'sitting made with it' - to which Dickson responded with an image of a large bundle of cash.
Cops then raided Jaap's home on May 28, 2021, and recovered a total of 1.996kg of cocaine and 4.986kg of diamorphine.
The total street value was estimated as capable of realising a total value of £296,672.
Then, on June 23, 2021, Martin’s home was searched.
The house was unoccupied at that time but £46,882 of designer goods and clothing were recovered.
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Following the sentencing of the gang, Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has welcomed it.
She said: “This was a coordinated effort to release significant quantities of illegal and harmful drugs throughout the Central Belt of Scotland.
“With each case of this kind we can help reduce the harm these drugs inflict on our communities.
“Paul Martin, as the principal member of this gang, his second in command, Peter Dickson and Grant Jaap now face lengthy prison sentences as a result of the extensive efforts of officers within Police Scotland and prosecutors at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
“Prosecutors will continue working with the police and other agencies as a member of Scotland’s Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce to ensure that the activities of serious and organised crime groups are detected and those responsible prosecuted using all measures at our disposal.
“Proceeds of Crime proceedings have now been commenced to ensure the profits obtained through criminal conduct are confiscated.”
Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Phillip Kennedy said: “These men made a substantial amount of money from a drugs operation importing and selling Class A drugs in the central belt of Scotland.
“Martin, in particular, lived a lavish lifestyle with properties in Scotland and Spain.
“The three men blighted our communities with drugs and their sentencing comes after a complex investigation.
“Disrupting the activities of organised crime groups and making the country an extremely hostile environment for them to operate is one of Police Scotland’s top priorities.
“There is no place for serious organised criminality in our society and, working in partnership with law enforcement agencies and the members of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, we will continue our fight against those involved in serious and organised crime to keep our communities safe.”
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal have said confiscation proceedings have been initiated against the gang.
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