A SCOT was arrested as part of a police raid into an alleged street valium factory.
Jamie Stevenson, 54, was held after police discovered 28million pills — worth £14m — during a search of a premises in Rochester, Kent last month.
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Five other people were nicked with Stevenson, of Burnside, near Glasgow, as part of the raid.
Police believe the valium tablets were being manufactured in England before transported to Scotland to be sold.
An spokesman for the NCA – the UK’s top FBI-style unit – said: “A joint investigation involving the NCA, Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police identified the alleged manufacture of illegal drugs, on an industrial scale, from premises operating in the Rochester area of Kent.
Drugs worth more than £16m seized in a week after cops hacked high-tech EncroChat messages
“The factory was raided by NCA/MPS officers on 12 June and 28m Etizolam tablets, also known as ‘street valium’, worth approximately £14m were recovered.
“A total of six people were arrested, significantly disrupting a major cross-border criminal network involved in the manufacture and distribution of Etizolam tablets in Scotland.
“These tablets cause significant public health issues in Scotland and are linked to substantial numbers of deaths every year.”
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We revealed how Stevenson was arrested last month after a cop swoop.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “A 54-year-old man was arrested and released on police bail. Inquiries are ongoing.”
Stevenson ran cab firm CS Cars before it went out of business in 2008.
Yesterday, the NCA revealed details of a large-scale probe into alleged serious and organised crime known as Operation Venetic.
Three months ago, authorities cracked a high-security phone system hoods were using to discuss massive drug deals and planned savage hits on their EncroPhones, which cost between £2,000 and £8,000.
But unknown to them, police were reading every single message — allowing authorities to catch them in the act.
More than £25million worth of drugs, £7m in dirty cash were seized in Scotland in the three months after cops intercepted the EncroChat system.
Almost 60 people were arrested as well as eight guns, ammunition, explosives and stolen motors being recovered as part of Operation Venetic.
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