A DRUG runner from Bury was one of four men who played a significant role in a massive importation and distribution operation that resulted in police seizing a haul of cocaine and heroin worth £2 million, a court heard.

Eduart Cela, aged 34, of Manchester Road, who had formerly lived in Warrington, was jailed for 11 years after pleading guilty to supplying class A drugs.

One kilogramme of cocaine at 91 per cent purity and 22kgs of heroin, of up to 60 per cent purity, were seized by officers of the National Crime Agency following a surveillance operation.

The other defendants who also admitted the charge were: Luan Ruda, aged 32, of Odeon Parade, London Road, Isleworth, West London, jailed for nine years and four months; David Johnson, aged 42, of Crystal Way, Dagenham, jailed for eight years and four months; and Derek Akosah, aged 39, of Caspian Close, Purfleet, jailed for six years.

Ruda also pleaded guilty to fraud offences relating to false identity documents and Akosah to possessing small quantities of drugs.

Roger Smart, prosecuting, said that on October 22 last year, Ruda left his address in Isleworth and went to a car wash where he met Johnson, who had been driven there by Akosah.

The car was later stopped and a kilo of cocaine, with a street value of £100,000 was found underneath the driver’s seat.

Ruda, however, was not arrested but kept under surveillance. When police raided Ruda's address three weeks later, they seized 13kg of heroin in 52 blocks hidden in a bag behind the toilet. It was said to have been at an importation level purity of 50-60 per cent and worth £1.5million at street level.

Cela had done a round trip to Warrington where, at his then home in Newton Road, Lowton, police recovered nine kilos of heroin, already diluted and ready to sell hidden in the loft. It was worth £250,000.

Judge Martyn Levett, sitting at Chelmsford Crown Court, said Ruda's address, which was rented with bogus documents, was the safe house and hub. He told Cela and Ruda they were major suppliers in the chain, operating on a wide scale and were "professional transporters of drugs".