Lee Docherty, 37, Ian Millar, 39, Brendan Gillan, 32, his father Daniel Gillan, 60, and Christopher McKellar, 44, pled guilty to being involved in serious organised crime between March and December 2020.

The High Court in Glasgow heard how the gang controlled the sale and supply of Class A drugs, including cocaine, heroin, cannabis and etizolam, from a heavily fortified property on the Larkfield estate in Greenock.

But the court heard their activities were ended when French law enforcement intercepted encrypted messages on the EncroChat platform and subsequently passed them to Police Scotland.

These texts revealed the scale of their drug-trafficking activities which ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Sineidin Corrins, deputy procurator fiscal for specialist casework at the Crown Office, said: “For years, the criminal activities of these individuals have impacted the everyday lives of many ordinary people in the Larkfield area of Greenock through their significant involvement in serious organised crime.

“They caused widespread disorder and disruption within the local community through the supply of drugs and their influence on young people.

“This extended to every facet of the community, from local people living in the area to those who ran shops or businesses.

“But now, thanks to the efforts of officers within Police Scotland and prosecutors at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), their grip on the local community has been dismantled.”