Law enforcement agencies have welcomed the jailing of James Stevenson and his gang, saying the international operation to smash their drug trafficking plot had “undoubtedly saved lives” in Britain.

Stevenson and five other men were sentenced to a total of 49 years behind bars at the High Court in Glasgow on Wednesday after they all admitted involvement.

Ringleader Stevenson, 59, was jailed for 20 years while his stepson Gerard Carbin, 44, was sentenced to seven years, and co-accused Ryan McPhee, 34, was jailed for four.

Fruit trader David Bilsland, 68, vehicle recovery firm owner Lloyd Cross, 32, and etizolam delivery co-ordinator Paul Bowes, 53, were all sentenced to six years each.

Police Scotland described the gang as “top-tier”, while the National Crime Agency (NCA) said their trial had been “long-awaited”.

This multi-agency operation, which spanned several countries, prevented a huge haul of illegal drugs reaching our communities and will have undoubtedly saved lives

The NCA issued a most-wanted appeal for Stevenson in January 2022, with his arrest coming a fortnight later in the Netherlands in a joint operation involving Dutch police.

He was detained while out jogging in Bergen op Zoom and was later extradited back to Scotland.

NCA’s regional head of investigations Gerry Mclean said: “Jamie Stevenson and his organised crime gang are now where they belong thanks to tenacious investigations by officers from the NCA, Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police.

“Offenders who peddle drugs don’t care about the harm to our communities, they don’t care about the lives destroyed by addiction.

“The NCA and our partners will continue to employ every possible tactic to target offenders who pose such a threat to the public.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Ferry, Police Scotland’s head of organised crime, pledged to create a “hostile environment” for gangsters.

He said: “The sentencing of Stevenson, Bilsland, Bowes, Carbin, McPhee and Cross following their guilty pleas sends out a clear message that the activities of those who think they can bring illegal drugs into our communities will not be tolerated.

“This multi-agency operation, which spanned several countries, prevented a huge haul of illegal drugs reaching our communities and will have undoubtedly saved lives.”

Deputy Crown agent Kenny Donnelly, from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said Stevenson and his criminal associates were involved in drug trafficking, of cocaine and other substances, on an “industrial and global scale”.

He added: “They have been brought to justice thanks to an extensive operation to investigate and dismantle their network of drug supply.

“We will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of drug traffickers. They will be prosecuted and brought to account through the courts.

“It was clear from the EncroChat messages that, as the ringleader, Stevenson directed the group. The cocaine they were planning to distribute would have undoubtedly contributed to misery in our communities.

“These convictions are testament to the forensic and meticulous work undertaken by specialist prosecutors to bring Stevenson and his five co-accused to justice and I would like to commend their efforts.”