AN international gang, accused of importing up to £200m worth of cocaine and ecstasy into the North-west, smuggled drugs in containers half-filled with engine spare parts, a court was told.

Philip Curran, prosecuting, told Bolton Crown Court the containers had drugs hidden inside which were then taken to industrial units in Radcliffe and Failsworth.

A police raid on the Beesley Industrial Estate, Radcliffe, revealed drugs worth up to £4.1 million.

Eight men deny two charges of conspiracy to sell Class A and Class B drugs. They are: Paul Bell, aged 37, of Hardcastle Apartments, Bradshaw Hall Drive Bolton; Gerald McLeish, aged 42, of Clifton Close, Heywood; Paul Earle, aged 31, of Bradway Road, Huyton, Merseyside; Ian Longden, aged 38, of Ridgeway Street, Ancoats, Manchester; Paul Dunn, aged 34, of Beech Avenue, Prescott, Merseyside; Christopher King, aged 38, of Walsingham Avenue, Middleton; Nigel Hughes, aged 33, of Cricket Close, Chapelfield, Coventry and Paul Wyatt, aged 38, of Mancroft Road, Caddington, Bedfordshire.

The court heard the gang ran the drugs operation along business lines with key members allegedly playing the roles of managing director, directors, sales reps and delivery men.

Officers recovered eight kilos of cocaine, 315,371 ecstasy tablets, 45.5 kilos of amphetamine and 27 kilos of cannabis, plus a small amount of crack cocaine.

These drugs when sold would have a street value of up to £200m.

The managing director of the so-called company was alleged to be Gerald McLeish, who had more than £500,000 in cash in two safes when arrested.

Mr Curran said Paul Bell was alleged to be regional sales manager, and when police searched his flat in Bolton they found £50,000 in cash stuffed in a number of shoe boxes.

Ian Longden was allegedly the delivery man seen by police regularly collecting deliveries from the Radcliffe unit for shipment.

When he was arrested in a cul-de-sac with Christopher King, police found 12 kilos of cannabis in his delivery van.

Paul Dunn was alleged to be the regional sales manager for Liverpool who used driver Paul Earle.

Paul Wyatt and Nigel Hughes were alleged to be directors of the company responsible for transport services.

(Proceeding)