A drugs gang who smuggled up to £40 million of cocaine into Scotland were caught after one of their couriers turned supergrass.

Ringleaders Keith Blenkinsop and Lindsay Harkins sewed the cocaine into suitcases in Barcelona and used couriers to bring it into Glasgow, Prestwick and Newcastle Airports.

Over a two-year period between 2007 and 2009 the gang flew out to Spain with suitcases full of Euros and came back with two kilos of cocaine at a time sewn into suitcases.

It all came to an end when one of the gang's couriers David Harbinson was caught with counterfeit £20 notes and blurted out details of the drugs operation to police who quizzed him.

At the High Court in Glasgow after a five-week trial Blenkinsop, 43, of Annan, Harkins, 44, of Helensburgh, Andrew Burns, 56, also of Helensburgh, Robert Dalrymple, 43, of Gretna, and James Elvin, 35, of Clydebank, were all convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine in Scotland, England, and Spain.

Dalrymple and Elvin were only convicted of being involved in the drugs operation as couriers in 2009.

The court heard that despite the massive size of their operation, the gang managed to remain completely under the radar of the UK's drug enforcement agencies.

The gang was snared because a teller in a Marks and Spencer's bureau de change in Carlisle noticed counterfeit notes among a bundle of sterling that gang member David Harbinson waned to change into Euros.

When Harbinson was questioned about the fake £20 notes in Dumfries Police Office he blurted out details of the massive drug operation.

Harbinson turned supergrass and gave evidence which put his former associates behind bars. He has now been placed on a witness protection programme.

All five will be sentenced next month.

High Court in Glasgow