Gang admits guilt over drug dealing

A GANG involved in a £400,000 drugs and dirty money operation is behind bars.

The seven-strong mob was snared by detectives, who also found hundreds of messages and photos linked to high-level dealing.

Richard Parvin, 38, Neil Brown, 34, Francis Ross Sr, 47, George McLean, 32, Francis Ross Jr, 22, Craig Mitchell, 30, and 34-year-old John Cord all admitted involvement during a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow.

The drug trafficking occurred at locations in 2019, mainly in Dundee.

Prosecutor Owen Mullan told how the crew was 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 and 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 ticklists and hundreds of messages that he was actively involved in the supply of controlled drugs.”

Judge Lord Weir was shown photos of packages of cocaine, embossed with logos of 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 found £319,000 of the drug in a bag, as well as £10,000 of heroin.

Ross Sr’s home in Dundee was also raided, where 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.

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

The court heard £2,120 of heroin, as well as at 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.

McLean was held in Easterhouse, Glasgow, and police initially found £12,000 in cash. Officers seized around £1,600 of heroin at two properties linked to him.

The group are all from Dundee apart from Parvin, of Motherwell and McLean, of Easterhouse.

They all admitted being concerned in the supply of drugs and were remanded for sentencing in June.