Twelve years jail for 800kg of cannabis

Updated 16.46 Fri Aug 08 2008

Two men have been jailed for 12 years each after being found guilty of trying to smuggle £1.6 million worth of cannabis into Britain.

A jury at Dorchester Crown Court convicted David Lindley, 45, and Robert Michael Matthews, 65, of conspiracy to import cannabis.

"Today's verdict has come as a result of that painstaking but ultimately very important, good old fashioned detective work" - Detective Chief Inspector Neil Redstone

Lindley and Matthews tried to import more than 3,000 bars of the drug with a total weight of 800kg and a street value of £1.6 million.

The drugs were intercepted in transit from Spain to Lindley's business address in October 2005 by customs officers.

Dorset Police then commenced an investigation which led to the charging of the men.

Detective Chief Inspector Neil Redstone, who led the investigation, said after the case: "From a relatively early point in the investigation it was clear that Lindley was involved in the importation of a large quantity of cannabis.

"Detectives from our High Tech Crime Unit spent a considerable time examining computers seized from both defendants and found further highly incriminating evidence that helped to prove the conspiracy.

"Today's verdict has come as a result of that painstaking but ultimately very important, good old-fashioned detective work."