A Polish man who tried to smuggle heroin with a street value of more than £1m through the Port of Ramsgate is behind bars.

Around 14kg of the drug was hidden inside the spare wheel of the car Farid Abdelmoula was a passenger in.

The stash was discovered by UK Border Agency officials when they searched the vehicle at the inward tourist controls at Ramsgate in January this year.

The contraband had an estimated street value of between £1.3m and £1.6m - one of the largest hauls ever recorded at the port.

Abdelmoula, 35, from Poznan in eastern Poland, was charged with being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of the prohibition of controlled drugs.

He pleaded guilty at Canterbury Crown Court on March 23 and was sentenced to 13 years in prison last Wednesday.

Malcolm Bragg, assistant director of criminal and financial investigations at the UK Border Agency, said: "This is a strong warning to anyone who believes heroin smuggling is acceptable. UK Border Agency officers will remain vigilant at all our ports and airports to prevent drugs reaching our streets and destroying people's lives."

The UK Border Agency uses a wide range of hi-tech search equipment to detect banned or restricted goods and to prevent them from entering the country.

Sniffer dogs and visual checks are carried out at all entry points to the UK, including the Port of Ramsgate.

Mr Bragg advised anyone with information about activity they suspect to be linked to drug smuggling to contact the UK Border Agency's dedicated hotline on 0800 59 5000.