A Maidstone drugs baron who controlled a ring which flooded the country with cocaine and heroin will spend 20 years behind bars.

Robert Filbrandt, of McKenzie Court, was one of seven members of the gang who between them were jailed for 81 years at Southwark Crown Court on Friday.

The heavily tattooed Polish national was convicted of two importation charges and two of conspiracy to supply drugs. He had previously admitted controlling criminal property.

The 31-year-old worked with childhood friend Radoslaw Fijalkowski, of Dover, to import millions of pounds of narcotics concealed in spare lorry tyres.

Thirty-three-year-old Fijalkowski, also formerly of Poland, was sentenced to 16 years for importation offences and controlling criminal property.

Polish drivers would transport the Class A substances, as well as bundles of cannabis stashed in their legitimate cargo, and would make unscheduled stops at service stations to swap the drugs for wads of cash, which were sent back to Europe.

The operation was run from rented premises at Mountview House Farm, Greenway Forstal, in Hollingbourne, with gang members picking up deliveries from junctions along the M20.

Police carried out an extensive surveillance operation and in June last year stopped cab driver Peter Harkashin after he met with Filbrandt and Fijalkowski at an Esso garage by junction 8.

Officers found 29kg of heroin stowed in a black holdall in his boot, valued at almost £3million.

The 55-year-old, of Southall, London, said he had no idea what was in the bag and had been directed to the location by suspected drug kingpin Jayson Macdonald, who is believed to be hiding abroad.

He was cleared of conspiracy to supply heroin following 50 hours of jury deliberations.

Similar meetings were observed until police swooped and arrested Filbrandt mid-deal in October. He was in possession of six mobile phones, £500 in cash and two sets of car keys.

Drug courier Lewis Taylor, 26, of Shepherd Walk, Chestfield, was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of conspiracy to supply.

Lorry drivers Piotr Kmiec, 35, and Arkadiusz Krawczyk, 33, were both handed 11 years for importation offences.

Rafael Koc, 39, also a lorry driver, was locked up for nine years for conspiracy to import drugs, while Albanian drug courier Besmir Kaja, 30, of Bromley, received a nine year sentence for possession with intent to supply.