A MAN from Bexley has been jailed for eight years for conspiring to smuggle £5 million worth of cocaine into the UK.

Jason Young, 37, of Upton Road South, Bexley, is one of four men sentenced to a total of 52 years at the Old Bailey for their roles in the plot to deal 43 kilos of the Class A drug.

He was arrested on August 4 last year following a covert police operation which tracked the men to a hotel by Dartford Bridge. From there the gang went to a nearby car park where Young and Alister Morin, 34, stayed while there other accomplices, Michael Linker and James Scarciglia followed a lorry just arrived from France to Bow Arrow Lane, Dartford.

Both vehicles parked up on opposite sides of the road then Linker went to the rear of the truck with the rucksacks while Scarciglia waited in the car. A bag, which was later found to contain £6,000 payment for the transportation of the drugs, was transferred to the parked vehicle.

Police then swooped on the men when Scarciglia backed his car up to the rear of the lorry and Linker, who was inside the lorry, had put 43 kilos of cocaine into the rucksacks. Young, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, was sentenced to eight years in prison.Morin, 34, of Burns Avenue, Chadwell Heath, Romford, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to 15 years.

Scarciglia, 40, of Harrow View, Harrow, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to 15 years.

Linker, 37, of Church Road, Frenchay, Bristol, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was sentenced to 14 years.Det Insp Grant Johnson of the specialist crime directorate said: “We are pleased with the sentences they have received. In this case, class A drugs with an estimated value of £5 million have been taken off the streets and the perpetrators punished for their crime. The Met will not tolerate the use and supply of class A drugs and we will continue to tackle organised criminal networks.”