A gang of drug smugglers have been jailed for more than 30 years in total after being found guilty of smuggling £8million worth of liquid amphetamine into the UK.

Leslie Muffett, 59, of Campbell Road, Witham, was one of four men convicted of conspiring to evade border controls by bringing in 175kg of a liquid form of the class B drug, commonly known as speed.

Along with Stuart Davidson, 65, of Chesham Drive, Basildon, Richard Wakeling, 51, of Wharf Road, Brentwood, and Darren Keane, 34, of Kiln Drive, Woburn Sands, Muffett was found guilty of smuggling the liquid into the UK via Folkestone, Kent, on Sunday, April 9, 2016.

Sentencing Muffett to six years in prison at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday, Judge Christopher Morgan said: “It is my judgement that you are a significant person in this case but you are not a leading player.

“Your involvement was influenced by Mr Davidson and by your financial situation.

“You told the jury you were bankrupt and had been for a while, which effected your ability to earn a living and run your business.

“I have little doubt that is why you turned to crime.”

Judge Morgan said he believed Muffett was not aware of the full workings or the scale of the operation.

All four defendants were tried on charges of conspiring “to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug”.

The 175 litres of amphetamine oil, which based on other cases in the UK has an estimated value of £8 million, was purchased in The Netherlands for roughly £175,000 before being hidden in base salt.

National Crime Agency officers started an investigation after plastic drums carrying the drugs were discovered by Border Force on Muffett’s truck as he attempted to board a train through the Channel Tunnel.

He was transporting furniture from Italy, but stopped at Ternat in Belgium where phone evidence showed he was directed by fellow trucker Davidson to collect the drugs.

The entire importation was set up by Wakeling, who was in touch with drug suppliers in Belgium and the Netherlands, and liaised with Keane and Davidson to arrange the journey.

Wakeling, who had to be tried in his absence after absconding via Belfast just before the case began, was sentenced to 11 years in jail.

Senior investigating officer Paul Green said: “These men were involved in a serious conspiracy to import a large quantity of dangerous drugs.

“We know they had links into other organised crime gangs in Europe and it is almost certain that this wasn’t the first time they had done it.

“We strongly suspect that Wakeling fled abroad, possibly to Thailand were he has strong family links.

“But it is likely there are people here in the UK who hold clues about his movements after he arrived in Belfast on 6 January, and I’d appeal for anyone with information to come forward.

“He has a prosthetic leg and needs regular medical treatment.

“The NCA has an international reach and he should know distance isn’t a barrier to us finding him.

“We are determined he will be returned to the UK to serve his sentence.

“Until we find him, he’ll spend every day looking over his shoulder.”

Davidson and Keane were sentenced to eight and nine years respectively.

Money will be recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act after a hearing, set to take place in October.