Three men have been sent to prison for serious and organised crime offences involving the large-scale supply of class A drugs based in Glasgow and stretching across the central belt of Scotland.

At the High Court in Edinburgh, on Friday, 10 May 2024, Paul Martin, Peter Dickson and Grant Japp, were sentenced to five years and eight months, four years and three months, and three years and four months respectively.

Martin aged 43, Dickson aged 34, and Japp aged 30, had previously pled guilty at the High Court in Glasgow.

Acting on intelligence officers, executed a number of warrants in Glasgow which led to the arrest of Jaap in May 2021. Further enquiries resulted in Dickson also being apprehended.

A complex investigation enabled officers to identify Martin as the ring-leader. This included infiltration of the encrypted messaging service Encrochat via Operation Venetic – regarded as the most significant UK operation into serious and organised crime involving Police Scotland, the National Crime Agency and police forces across the UK.

Martin had fled to Spain before he could be arrested but was traced to Tenerife and extradited to Scotland in August 2022.

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.”

Anyone who has information or concerns about the sale and supply of drugs in their community is urged to contact Police Scotland via 101 or make a call anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.