Aaron Bradford, 35, was sentenced at the High Court in Aberdeen after jurors convicted him of being concerned in the supply of Class A and Class B Drugs.

He was convicted after police-led intelligence identified him through messages on the EncroChat platform which is favoured by criminals.

He is the first person in Scotland to be convicted following a trial as part of Operation Venetic, which stems from the retrieval by French agencies of data on the EncroChat communication network used by serious organised crime gangs.

Sineidin Corrins, deputy procurator fiscal, specialist casework at the Crown Office, said: “This was a coordinated effort to release a sizeable quantity of drugs into Dundee. But now, thanks to the efforts of Police Scotland and COPFS, this individual faces a lengthy prison sentence.

“We will continue to target all those who threaten communities across Scotland, not only drug couriers but also those who direct their movements. With each case of this kind we can help reduce the harm these drugs inflict on those communities.”

The court heard that messages from an EncroChat user called “Elpazzo” discussed the supply of drugs, including cocaine, amphetamine, and cannabis, between March and June 2020.

In one conversation, he forwarded on a picture of cocaine while another conversation centred on how one drug deal had earned him £17,000.

Officers later identified “Elpazzo” as Bradford through vet and taxi booking records. A police search of his home in Dundee in June 2020 as part of Operation Venetic uncovered a haul of drug paraphernalia as well as a list which showed outstanding debts and drug deal amounts alongside a list of names.