TWO south Essex men, who were at the centre of a drugs gang which aimed to flood the streets of Essex with cocaine, have been jailed.

Luke Shubert, 31, of Glenwood, Vange, was the kingpin of the gang, while Richard Gamon, 30, of Link Road, was caught by police while trying to transport 16 kilos of cocaine on the A12.

Shubert was given 15 years while Gamon was given 11 as both admitted conspiracy to supply a Class A drug.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Shubert and Gamon were part of a gang of four who were caught by police.

Officers seized 25kg of cocaine worth £2million as well as £375,000 in cash.

The court was told the gang aimed to flood the streets of Essex, Kent and Merseyside with the Class A drug and transported it around in a fleet of commercial vehicles.

They were only foiled when detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate launched an undercover probe into their dealings between June and October last year.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard the efforts of police paid off during raids in October last year.

Gamon was stopped while driving along the A12, at Ardleigh, where officers seized 16 kilos of cocaine.

A further 8 kilos were seized in Becton in Kent. Shubert was arrested during a raid at a property in Carlton Avenue, Pitsea.

Fellow gang members Toby Jones, 29, of Brook End, Epping, and Michael Enever, 44, of Brook Parade, Chigwell, also admitted conspiracy to supply a Class A drug.

Jones was jailed for 11 years and Enever for ten years.

Following the sentencing, senior investigating officer Det Chief Insp Stuart Smith, of the Kent and Essex team, said: “A six-month long investigation led to the four men being arrested and overwhelming evidence meant their only choice was to plead guilty in court.

“This was an operation whereby every strand of the SCD was used from forensic experts to analysts.

“Everyone involved showed a huge commitment to bringing these men to justice.”

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