A Belgium national who used a helicopter to smuggle £7 million worth of cocaine from Europe to the UK as part of a drug-dealing gang has been jailed.

Frederic Fagnoul and accomplice John Bolter will serve more than 25 years combined for their part in the criminal operation.

A third man, Dean Francis, will be sentenced on Thursday.

Fagnoul had established a route where he imported drugs via helicopter in June last year.

The 50-year-old landed his aircraft at Eastwell Manor Hotel in Ashford and Chilston Park Hotel in Maidstone, where the drugs would be distributed by car to multiple sellers across the UK.

He would prepare his flight plan 10 minutes before flying to the UK via Calais to Lydd airport.

However, he would instead land at a hotel, using the cover story that he had been night fishing.

Fagnoul, who is thought to have brought 50kg of cocaine on each flight, had his helicopter seized on September 12 last year after being seen removing a number of bags from the chopper into a room at Chilston Park Hotel.

A police search of the helicopter revealed a sophisticated hide located under the seats in the main body of the aircraft.

Today Fagnoul, of Fennieres, Belgium, was sentenced to 17 years and six months' imprisonment at Southwark Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to import Class A drugs and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

John Bolter and Dean Francis were also identified by detectives from the Met’s Organised Crime Command as part of the drug supply conspiracy.

On September 6 last year, police stopped a Nissan Qashqai in Bromley being driven by Bolter.

Located within a hidden compartment in the boot of the vehicle was 20 kilograms of cocaine, which was seized along with a highly encrypted mobile phone.

Bolter, 36, of Effort Street, Tooting, was charged with possession with intent to supply cocaine.

He pleaded guilty to the offence at Southwark Crown Court in November and was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years’ imprisonment.

He was further charged with conspiracy to supply class A drugs and pleaded guilty to this offence in March.

Francis, 37, of Knighton Park Road, Lewisham, was arrested on October 4 after he was observed meeting Fagnoul at a hotel in Kent and collecting drugs on September 5.

He was also charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and pleaded guilty to this offence in March.

Det Ch Supt Mick Gallagher, head of the Met’s Organised Crime Command, said: "This was an outstanding investigation combating a drug-dealing network that spread from Europe to the UK.

"Detailed detective work identified the significant roles these defendants played in the supply of millions of pounds worth of cocaine into the UK.

"The Organised Crime Command will relentlessly pursue those involved in the supply of Class A drugs."

William Russell, of the Crown Prosecution Service, added: "This was a sophisticated large-scale operation to supply large amounts of cocaine from the continent into the UK.

"The prosecution were able to prove the conspiracy by using evidence from the investigation including the use of hidden compartments in the helicopter and cars as well as the surveillance material outlining the movements of various couriers employed by the gang."