Drugs gang get 45 years in prison

The High Court sentenced the gang to more than 45 years

A drugs gang who flooded the Highlands with heroin has been jailed for a total of 45-and-a-half years.

Undercover police smashed the Glasgow-Inverness drug ring in 2002.

George Hynes, 33, and James Stoddart, 40, both of Hamilton, were jailed for 12 and 10 years at the High Court in Edinburgh as the leaders of the gang.

Steven Whitton, 35, Darren Lawson, 20, both of Inverness, and Ronald Main, 57, of Blantyre, and Jacqueline Aiton, 44, of Forfar, received smaller sentences.

Record Seizure

Officers from Strathclyde Police and the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency tracked the gang for three months as part of "Operation Nemesis".

When they finally swooped they caught the six-strong gang with a £250,000 haul of heroin - a record seizure for the Northern Constabulary area.

Like vultures feeding on dying flesh you chose to become involved in the supply of heroin entirely for your own benefit Judge Lady Smith

Judge Lady Smith told gang members their illegal trade in drugs had caused misery and irrevocable damage to many young lives.

She said: "Like vultures feeding on dying flesh you chose to become involved in the supply of heroin entirely for your own benefit."

Gang leader Hynes - out on licence from a 15-year sentence for attempted murder when he was arrested - was found guilty of directing drug-running operations for three months.

His "lieutenant" Stoddart, also on licence, had set himself up as a painter and decorator and hoped to start a contract for the Ministry of Defence until his arrest and the discovery of his previous convictions lost him the job.

His white works van had been used to carry packets of heroin before they were handed to drug couriers on the A9 to drive them by motorcycle to Inverness.

Courier Service

Whitton was one of the motorcyclists and was stopped by police near Dalwhinnie in April, 2002, carrying heroin with a street price of £39,000 in a rucksack.

He admitted being concerned in the supply of heroin and was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Lawson also pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of heroin after being found with £39,000 of the drug hidden in his trousers. He was jailed for seven years.

Mother-of-four Aiton received six years after police found £24,000 of the drug in her car.

Main was stopped with £140,000 of the drug in his vehicle and was jailed for six years.