DRUGS squad officers seized a kilo of crack cocaine valued at £50,000 when they swooped on a cab transporting the drug in Bradford, a court heard.

Two men were yesterday each jailed for two years and eight months for their roles in couriering the consignment from London to West Yorkshire.

Homeless Albanian national, Alban Bruci, 28, brought the drug up from the capital to be handed over to Shahban Hussain, 26, of Boynton Terrace, West Bowling, Bradford.

Both men pleaded guilty to conspiring with others unknown to supply Class A drugs.

Prosecutor Matthew Bean said Bruci's cab was tracked from the Ibis Budget Hotel in Canal Road, Bradford, at about 11am on March 24 this year.

Police stopped the vehicle in Manchester Road and arrested Bruci who had 990 grams of crack cocaine hidden in a sock in his trouser waistband.

Hussain was apprehended further down the road, in the Marshfields area of Bradford, in a black Seat Leon.

Mr Bean said he had four phones on him, one of which had called Bruci's number 20 times over the last two days, including ringing him five times in the seven minutes following his arrest.

Hussain had booked the cab taking Bruci from the hotel to the handover point, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Bruci told the police he had been trafficked to the UK at a cost of £6,000 and was paid £600 to deliver the drugs to Bradford.

He stayed at the hotel overnight and was collected by cab to drop the cocaine off.

Hussain made no comment to the police when they questioned him.

In mitigation, Hussain's barrister, Elyas Patel, said his client knew he was going to prison.

He told his probation officer: "I expect and deserve to be punished."

Mr Patel said his client had not put the blame on anyone else. He was paid to take delivery of the cocaine by those higher up the chain of command.

He had low self esteem and was carer for his late father.

He had been living with his frail mother and relying on handouts from her. This had been an opportunity to make some quick cash.

Yunus Valli, for Bruci, said he acted under pressure to provide a limited function under direction.

He had a mechanical engineering degree and came to the UK in 2012.

The UK Border Agency planned to deport him when he had served his sentence.

Judge Neil Davey QC said the defendants were links in a supply chain that would have led to almost a kilo of cocaine circulating on the streets, contributing to misery and crime.

Jailing them, he said: "You both set out to make substantial amounts of money for as little effort as possible."