Two men who smuggled millions of pounds worth of drugs into the UK inside tins of tomatoes and crates marked as spare vehicle parts have been jailed.

Simon Coombes, of College Road, Sittingbourne, and Gareth Attard, from Cardiff, were sentenced on Friday for their part in the importation of cannabis and Zopiclone, a drug used to treat insomnia.

Police estimated the pair imported drugs with a total street value of between £38million and £49million.

Coombes, 49, was sentenced to 10 years and five months in prison following a three-day hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court, in north London, while Attard, 43, was given eight years and six months.

Coombes admitted one count of importing Class B drugs, one count of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and one count of conspiracy to supply Class C drugs. Attard also admitted one count of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and one count of conspiracy to supply Class C drugs at an earlier hearing.

The pair were jailed as a result of an investigation by the Metropolitan police's specialist crime command unit.

Between April 2015 and September 2016, Coombes and Attard oversaw 14 importations of cannabis and Zopiclone tablets to a car garage in Sittingbourne.

The pair used a range of methods to conceal the drugs as they entered the country including disguising them in crates marked as spare vehicle parts. They also concealed cannabis in tins of tomatoes being transported on HGVs.

On September 22, 2016, officers from the Met's specialist crime command unit observed six crates being delivered to the garage in Sittingbourne.

The next day, officers from Kent Police executed a search warrant at the address on behalf of the Met and discovered 1,021kg of cannabis and 130,000 Zopiclone tablets in the crates.

Coombes and Attard were not present at the time of the search, but were arrested at a later date.

On January 29, 2017, officers from UK Border Force conducted a routine stop of a HGV entering Dover. During a search of the vehicle, 75kg of cannabis was found concealed in tins of tomatoes. Throughout the course of the investigation detectives obtained a range of evidence which linked both Coombes and Attard to this concealment.

Detective superintendent Neil Ballard, from the Met's specialist crime command unit, said: "I am satisfied with the sentences handed to these two men for their part in the importation of drugs into the UK.

"This operation clearly demonstrates the Met's commitment to tackling organised criminals who seek to profit from the misery inflicted by the distribution of drugs.

"This was a complex investigation and demonstrates our dedication in reducing the supply of drugs and removing the danger these substances pose on the streets.

"These men are now beginning lengthy custodial sentences and I would like to thank our Kent Police colleagues for their collaboration in this very successful operation."

An earlier version of this article contained incorrect sentencing details. This was due to an error on behalf of the Metropolitan Police. We are happy to clarify the facts of this case.