PRISON sentences of up to 24 years have been given to eight members of a gang who set up a bogus company to import drugs to Radcliffe worth more than £200 million.

The men founded what appeared to be a legitimate firm of vehicle part importers to smuggle in vast amounts of cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines and Ecstasy, Bolton Crown Court heard during a seven-month trial.

One gang member from Bradshaw Fold was jailed for 20 years while two more from Radcliffe were jailed for 14 and 10 years respectively.

Gang members were given specific roles with titles from managing director to regional sales co-ordinator, warehouse assistant and delivery driver in what was a "sophisticated and professional" organisation, the court heard.

They used the name of a genuine Belgian car parts importer as cover to ship crates packed with drugs and car spares. They also used a legitimate shipping company to bring the drugs into the UK, where they would be collected by employees of the bogus "Augustus Services."

The crates of "spares" would then be transferred to another warehouse leased by the group on the Meadow Industrial Estate in Failsworth.

From here, the drugs were taken to an industrial unit in nearby Radcliffe before being packaged up for distribution to customers.

The gang were captured following a long surveillance operation by Greater Manchester Police codenamed Operation Torch.

In a raid on the gang's depot in April 2001 police seized 8kg (17lbs) of cocaine, 45kg (100lbs) of amphetamines, 27kg (60lbs) of cannabis and 315,000 Ecstasy tablets.

Head of GMP's Crime Investigations Branch, Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Stelfox, said after the case: "This was a highly sophisticated operation which was run exactly like a legitimate business.

"The men went to a lot of time and trouble to ensure everyone had a role within the organisation in order to bring huge quantities of Class A and B drugs into the North West.

"As well as setting up very elaborate bogus companies the group also used innocent businesses and individuals to hide their real operations."

The gang's "managing director

Gerald McLeish, 43, of Clifton Close, Heywood, Rochdale, was found guilty of conspiracy to import Class A and B drugs and sentenced to 24 years.

Also found guilty of conspiracy to import were: Paul Bell, 38, of Hardcastle Gardens, Bradshaw Fold, who was given 20 years; Nigel Stuart Hughes, 36, of Cricket Close, Coventry, West Midlands (20 years) and Ian Longden, 39, of Beardwood Avenue, Blackley, Manchester (11 years).

Three other members of the gang pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import at an earlier hearing and were sentenced today. They were: Christian Wolfendale, 35, of Cross Lane, Radcliffe (14 years); Paul Dunn, 34, of Beech Avenue, Prescot, Liverpool (12 years) and Simon Balshaw, 30, of Rupert Street, Radcliffe (10 years). Paul Earle, 36, of Radway Road, Liverpool, was given 18 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs.