Five members of a North Ayrshire drugs gang who were operating a machine which could manufacture hundreds of thousands of pills have been jailed.
Images released by the Crown Office show inside the Dalry flat where two of the men were found covered in white powder.
Their operation was capable of churning out 130,000 of the so-called 'street vallies' every day.
Kyle Byrne, George Stewart and John MacLeod ran the etizolam pill factory in a flat in the North Ayrshire town between February 1 and March 26 this year.
Two other men, Paul Gaughan, 30, and Lee MacLeod, 26, ran the machine on March 23 and March 26.
On Monday, all five men were jailed for a total of 19 years.
Etizolam tablets are usually blue but can also be sold as pink pills or white powder.
The drug is a kind of fast-acting tranquilizer, stronger than valium (diazepam).
Benzodiazepines slow down the user's heart rate and breathing.
According to drug outreach charity Crew, people taking them can experience a ‘floating’ sensation as well as a warm, calm and relaxed feeling.
It can also cause short-term memory loss and confusion with prolonged use causing insomnia if the user stops taking them.
From prison, 29-year-old Byrne sent coded messages to John MacLeod and Stewart discussing the set-up of the pill-producing machine throughout February.
On March 23, following Byrne's release, he met with 23-year-old John MacLeod and 32-year-old Stewart, and MacLeod handed a package to another man.
A search at an address in Glasgow found 185,442 etizolam tablets, with both Byrne and Gaughan’s DNA found on the packaging.
Three days later, on March 26, police raided the flat on Main Street, Dalry, and found Stewart and Lee MacLeod covered in white powder.
It is here they found the pill press, 63,955 etizolam tablets, 23 kilos of etizolam and phenacetin powder, and other drug making ingredients.
Cops also found a lease agreement for a storage unit. The next day they opened it to find a second pill press and five kilos of etizolam and phenacetin powder.
In total, 253,399 tablets were found along with enough powder to make 178,769 more. The 432,168 pills would be worth around £216,084.
The Scottish Drug Forum states that etizolam varies in cost ranging from £1 for a single tablet to as little as 4p per pill for larger quantities - 100 tablets typically cost around £40.
Jennifer Harrower, Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework, said: “Drugs do great harm to communities and prosecutors will use all powers available to target those who seek to profit from this kind of crime.
“With each case of this kind we can help reduce the harm these drugs do to communities across Scotland. I hope these convictions and sentences send a strong message to others involved in serious and organised crime.
“We will continue to work as a key part of the Serious and Organised Crime Taskforce to protect those communities.”
Byrne, John MacLeod and Stewart were each sentenced to five years and four months in prison and subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order for two years. Gaughan was sentenced to one year and Lee MacLeod to two years in prison.
Detective Inspector Cheryl Kelly said: “These five men were intent on distributing drugs on our streets. Their illicit operation was well established and would have had devastating effects on our local communities.
“The people of Scotland will be re-assured that Police Scotland remains absolutely committed to targeting serious and organised criminality, which includes drugs offences, and making the country a hostile environment for these criminals to carry out their nefarious activities.
"Any intelligence we receive relating to crimes of this nature will be acted on and those involved will be brought to justice. We can't do this alone and work closely with partners including the SOC Taskforce.
"We also need the help of the public and if anyone has any concerns regarding criminality in their area, please contact Police Scotland on 101 or make an anonymous report to the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
Chief Inspector Anton Stephenson from Safer Communities said: "We continue to have highly significant success in disrupting the activities of those who exploit the most vulnerable people in society by selling illegal drugs.
"Our officers work extremely hard with partners to help reduce the tragic impact of drugs on individuals, families and communities in Scotland as part of a health-led approach."
Photographs of Lee MacLeod and George Stewart have been released, but images of the other three men cannot for legal reasons.
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