A CLYDEBANK member of a major drugs gang has been jailed after being snared in the undercover police operation which smashed Drumchapel crime boss Roy Dunstance's empire.

Brian Cook, 46, was caged for six years and co-accused courier Robert Ross, 23, from Craigielea Park, Renfrew, for four years.

Ross admitted being concerned in the supply of cannabis and amphetamine in April, 2014, and Cook was convicted of being concerned in the supply of cannabis, amphetamine, heroin and cocaine between July 2013 and May, 2014.

At the High Court in Glasgow Judge Thomas Hughes QC told the pair: “It is quite clear that this type of offending has catastrophic consequences for Scottish society.”

Charges against three other men were dropped during the trial. Cook denied any involvement with drugs, but was snared during Operation Brora, the police surveillance operation which targeted Dunstance’s drugs business.

Cook, who is seriously ill, was a frequent visitor at Dunstance’s right-hand man David “Pops” Hawthorne’s flat at Linkwood Crescent in Drumchapel.

He claimed he was only visiting a friend.

Hawthorne is currently serving nine years and Dunstance, originally from Drumchapel, who ran a multi-million pound racket smuggling drugs and firearms into the UK from his bolthole in Spain is serving 11 years.

Cook also faced charges of firearms and money laundering, but these were dropped during the trial.

Police witnesses in the trial at the High Court in Glasgow described Cook as a “known associate” of Dunstance.

Ross, from Craigielea Park, Renfrew, was also one of Hawthorne’s army of couriers. The court heard that police saw Ross and another man arrive at Pops’ flat on April 8 2014.

The pair left after about 10 minutes, with the second man carrying a large black holdall.

Ross returned to Linkwood Crescent, the court heard, several hours later. Hawthorne met him in the car park and together they took three cardboard boxes out of Ross’s car.

These were taken to the 11th floor where Hawthorn put them in another flat to which he had a key. Police later seized two of the boxes. One contained 44 packages of cannabis resin worth nearly £12,000 in quarter ounce deals.

The second box contained 72 packages of the drug. These could have fetched nearly £20,000. Ross turned up at the flat two days later and was soon joined by an accomplice. They left in a Corsa with Ross driving.

The vehicle was picked up on cameras in six police force areas in England. They are believed to have been transporting amphetamine.

Defence counsel Michael Anderson, representing Cook, said: “He maintains his innocence. He is seriously ill and his greatest fear that his parents will die while he is in prison or that he will die in prison.”

Defence counsel Tony Lenehan, representing Ross, said: “He worked in a car valeting business and met people who said there was money to be made. His involvement was limited.”