Revenue and Customs officers working at Dover docks have been commended by a judge for their work in catching three drug smugglers.

The men have all been given prison sentences, although a European arrest warrant has been issued for one of them as he absconded before his trial.

The offences involved nearly four kilos of powder containing 2.96 kilos of 100 per cent pure cocaine, said to be worth £542,000.

Thomas French, 22, from Eastfield, Waltham Cross, was sentenced to 10 years, while Ricky Smith, 25, of Windsor Drive, Hertford, and Thomas Yates, 26, of Monks Closes, Broxbourne, were sentenced to 12 years each.

French was stopped by Revenue and Customs officers on November 27, 2006, at the UK tourist control zone in Coquelles. He said he had been to Calais to buy beer and wine for Christmas.

On searching the vehicle, officers found a number of mixed cases of beer and soft drinks and hidden within two of the cases of beer they found three taped packages which contained cocaine.

Yates and Smith had travelled independently to Calais from Dover, meeting French there and returning to the UK via the Channel Tunnel at the same time.

Yates has since absconded and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. He was sentenced in his absence.

Judge Adele Williams commended the officers at the docks for their acuteness in the interception and the Investigation Officer for "pulling together this very complex case."