The courts have now handed jail terms totalling more than 63 years to William Byrne and 14 crooks linked to his gang. A 16th man is awaiting sentence.
Byrne, 25, and his henchmen smuggled cocaine from the Caribbean and bought and sold drugs all over Scotland. They also distributed guns and cash.
The Mr Big used couriers - or "mules" - to keep his hands clean, and told the taxman he had earned less than £5000 since 2002. But he lived in luxury in a £350,000 home in a seaside town and drove BMW and Mercedes cars worth more than £50,000.
Judge Lord Matthews jailed Byrne for 54 months. He told him: "You obviously were the main player, although your record up to now has been minor."
The crook, who admitted drug-dealing, will now face court action to seize assets including his home and cars.
Byrne, of Wemyss Bay, Renfrewshire, worked with Gary Mackie, 42, from Ayr, to recruit and run a network of drug mules. But the elite Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency smashed the gang in an operation codenamed Salute, which lasted more than a year.
The SCDEA cops worked with Strathclyde and Lothian and Borders police and detectives in the Dominican Republic, where the crooks bought cocaine .
In all, they seized 14.5 kilos of cocaine worth approximately £3.8million and 1.25tons of cannabis resin with an estimated £3.5million value. Four firearms, ammunition and a CS spray gun were recovered.
Detective Superintendent Rikki Bailey of the agency said: "Byrne used a number of people to avoid getting his hands dirty, but the volume and value of the drugs we seized indicates how much he was gaining.
"He enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and showed no regard for the harm he was inf licting on Scotland's communities."
They watched Byrne's mules as they moved packages around Scotland and met up to exchange drugs, money and weapons.
In January 2008, the cops saw Jason Kane, 24, of Greenock, Renfrewshire, receive a firearm and ammunition from James Kane, 46, of Dundonald, Ayrshire.
Surveillance and mobile phone sei zures l inked both men to Byrne. Jason Kane got four years and James Kane six years and four months.
In February 2008, 27-year-old Craig Emmerson, of Port Glasgow, Renf rewshi re, was caught handing cocaine worth £50,000 to Robert Waterson, 47, of Bonnyrigg, Midlothian. The handover took place at Fort Kinnaird Retail Park in Edinburgh.
Emmerson admitted he was working for Byrne and was jailed for 32 months. Waterson got 45 months.
The next piece of the puzzle fell into place in April 2008.
Police searched the home of Alan Brown, 34, who was known to be one of Byrne's mules, and found Class A and Class B drugs. Brown admitted drug offences and is now serving 54 months.
Then, in August 2008, Kevin Duddy, 21, of Gourock, Renfrewshire, handed half a kilo of cocaine to Robert Halford, 43, of Clydebank, at a rendezvous in Langbank, Renfrewshire.
The cocaine was worth about £20,000. Duddy got two years and Halford three years after both men admitted drug offences.
By February last year, the police were ready to move on Byrne himself. They arrested him at his home in Wemyss Bay.
Then, in July 2009, cops in the Dominican Republic arrested two Scots, Paul Cairns, 23, of Gourock, and Daniel Squires, 22, from Greenock.
The pair were caught redhanded at an airport with 9kg of 90 per cent putity cocaine, destined for Scotland. Both are now in jail in the Dominican.
Four other men linked to the gang were jailed for being concerned in the supply of drugs.
David Scobie, 40, of Coylton, Ayrshire, got 32 months. William West, 36, and Brian Quinn, 35, both of Glasgow, got 45 months and 32 months respectively.
William Scott, 60, died in Kilmarnock jail, where he was serving two years.
Steven Scott , 37, from Gar thamlock, Glasgow, was convicted of firearms offences as a result of the investigation.
He will be sentenced today at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
