A group of Kent men involved in a multi-million pound drugs ring that aimed to flood the UK with heroin and cocaine have been jailed for a total of 147 years.

The eight men were accused of playing a part in "systematic and repeated large-scale importation" into the UK.

They appeared at Maidstone Crown Court today, where they were each handed lengthy prison sentences.

Roy James, 55, of Dudley Avenue, Westgate, who was convicted of two offences of conspiracy to supply drugs and three of conspiracy to import drugs, was jailed for 27 years.

Stephen Hall, 53, of Trafalgar Close, Rochester, who admitted 10 offences of conspiracy to import heroin, cocaine and cannabis in October last year received a total of 20 years behind bars.

Lee Selves, 29, of Wellcome Avenue, Dartford, who was convicted of one offence of conspiracy to import drugs, was locked up for 20 years.

Thomas Atkins, 31, of Chave Road, Wilmington, who was found guilty of three offences of conspiracy to smuggle drugs, received 17 years and six months.

Stevie Joyce, 43, of Kirby Road, Dartford, who was also found guilty of three offences of conspiracy to smuggle drugs, was handed a 16-year prison sentence.

Nicholas Parker, 35, of Lower Range Road, Gravesend, and Sonny Selves, 24, of no fixed address, were convicted of one offence of conspiracy to import drugs. They received sentences of 18 years and 16-and-a-half years respectively.

Julian Brigden, 50, of no fixed address, was found guilty of one offence of conspiracy to supply drugs, and was handed a 12-year term.

Stephen Large, 52, of Shipbourne Road, Tonbridge, was cleared of transferring criminal property.

An eleventh member of the group, Sanpreet Dhaliwal, 30 years-old of Woodland Avenue in Slough, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to importing heroin and possession with intent to supply cannabis. He was sentenced early to 7 years and 4 months in prison.

Judge Charles Macdonald QC said the case involved four very substantial drugs conspiracies and the purity of the class A drugs was high.

He said James and Hall played leading roles and Atkins’ role was significant and motivated by money.

All the drugs will be destroyed.

The men will serve half their sentences before being considered for release under licence.

"This is effectively about a criminal commercial enterprise." - Prosecutor Richard Barton

Prosecutor Richard Barton told Maidstone Crown Court the men were part of an organised crime group hoping to make huge profits.

In the prosecutor's opening speech the court heard there were a series of importations in different locations.

“They were of such large quantities that the value runs into millions of pounds if sold on the streets. Only some of the drugs imported were, in fact, seized," said Mr Barton.

But he added there was significantly more than that overall, and it was not a case about drug users or supply at street level.

“Rather, this is effectively about a criminal commercial enterprise. What you are looking at is the equivalent of a company.

“What you are concerned with is a sophisticated series of operations. Conduct that can properly be described as an organised crime group.”

Mr Barton said those on trial were not involved in all of the different operations.

Two of the conspiracies from May to July and August to September in 2013 concerned supply of heroin and cocaine from commercial premises in Swanley.

The court was told that in July that year, a man drove to School Lane, Swanley, and handed over a box to a taxi passenger.

When the taxi was stopped on Battersea Bridge in London the box was found to contain four kilos of cocaine and three kilos of heroin, both of high purity.

Two months later, German customs officers in Cologne intercepted 14 boxes being transported to a business unit at Veitchii Barn in Swanley.

They purported to be spare parts but, in fact, contained almost 76 kilos of skunk cannabis, 12 kilos of heroin, 12 kilos of cocaine and over three kilos of crack cocaine.

The drugs were replaced with dummy content and repackaged for onward delivery. Inquiries revealed several other deliveries had been made to the same unit.

Another conspiracy involved smuggling heroin via commercial premises in Berkshire.

The jury deliberated for almost 44 hours but was unable to reach verdicts in respect of Richard Middleton, 34, of Ruskin Grove, Dartford.

He was accused of two offences of conspiracy to supply drugs and the prosecution informed the court that "in all likelihood" there would be a retrial.

Mr Large was said to be the right-hand man to one of the main organisers and engaged in laundering the proceeds.

After the sentencing, Detective Superintendent Mark Hall said: "The top tier of this organised crime group had gone to extensive lengths to hide their involvement and to distance themselves from this criminality through the use of false names, false companies and the use of a network of couriers to distribute the controlled drugs.

"As a result they made significant profits over a number of years without detection.

"The value of drugs imported by this group into Swanley and Eton alone are estimated to run to several million pounds and the investigation team has worked tirelessly to ensure that not only are the people responsible brought to justice but that the profits they have made from this criminality are identified and confiscated.

"This operation represents a significant disruption to the supply of drugs within our county and the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate and the National Crime Agency will continue to work together to target organised criminals and their assets to ensure that crime does not pay."

Investigating officer DC Mark Froome added: "This gang was a highly organised criminal outfit that saw over 100kgs of drugs being brought into England; a haul that would have made the gang a significant amount of money.

"I’m glad that we have been able to convict the offenders and stop the drugs entering circulation and causing misery to the lives of drug users, their families and communities across Kent and beyond."

There were emotional scenes in court when the verdicts against Atkins were returned by the jury after almost 39 hours of deliberation last week.

One woman fled the courtroom in tears while another, believed to be his partner, was sobbing in the public gallery throughout.

After the judge had risen and the jury had left, she angrily confronted police officers in the case, saying: "I hope you're pleased. I have three children."

She became even more upset as she hugged Atkins over the dock and eventually had to be pulled away by his father.

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