THREE men have been jailed for a total of 18 years for their role in a conspiracy to transport high purity cocaine from the south coast to Bradford

Peter Rawson, of Stone Acre Court, West Bowling, Bradford, was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison, while Klodian Bajrakurti was jailed for four and a half years and Arif Paca was locked up for four years.

They appeared for sentencing at Bradford Crown Court yesterday after all pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

The men had been arrested in a dramatic daylight raid by armed police on Clay Hill Drive in Wyke on April 23.

In the raid, police discovered high purity cocaine and large amounts of cash, and yesterday the court heard that the three men had been part of a conspiracy to transport drugs between the Sussex seaside town of Worthing and Bradford.

The court heard that all three men had been entrusted with over £250,000 worth of cocaine to look after.

But one defence solicitor described them as being "on one of the bottom rungs" of the conspiracy.

Lawson had been given a three year prison sentence in 2013, and on his release in October found himself in debt. He agreed to take part in the conspiracy to wipe away this debt.

Rachim Singh, defending Lawson, said he had carried out a significant amount of charity work, including work supporting the Armed Forces.

Bajrakurti, 28, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, had fled from Kosovo when he was 14 when the rest of his family "disappeared." Chris Whitehouse, defending, said his client had worked hard since coming to the country, gaining asylum and obtaining 12 GCSEs and five A-levels. He had worked his way up to become a restaurant and catering manager in Sevenoaks, before having to return to Albania when his only surviving relative, an uncle, fell ill.

Paca, 22, of George Hudson Tower in Stratford, came to the UK from Albania in 2009 to escape a "blood feud" that threatened his life. He had worked as a trainee chef in Canary Wharf after being granted permanent leave in the UK. The court heard that shortly before his arrest he became addicted to gambling, through which he met a man who asked him to look after some drugs. Kathryn Drummon, defending, said: "His personal background made him the prime target for more significant people on the drugs chain to entice him into a job that was high risk and little reward."

Of the two men who had migrated to the country, Judge Jonathan Rose said: "Anyone in this country who has read a newspaper is aware of the problems in these countries and will have sympathy with your backgrounds.

"But when you come to this country you have to make a choice. Do you live here, work hard respect other people and live by legitimate means, or do you for whatever reason go outside the law and make money in an unlawful way? It is a matter of choice. Your choices are keeping you in prison."

On Rawson he said: "You are a different category altogether.

"I am told you found yourself in financial difficulty. You are not alone. Throughout the country, people find themselves in financial difficulties, and most find their way out without resorting to crime."

He said the aggravating factor in his case was that he was on licence at the time of the crime. He said: "You were let out on licence and you threw that trust back in the face of those who put trust in you.

"It is not possible to be clear how far this conspiracy ranged or whether those controlling these plans are in the south or in Bradford.

"It is regrettable that none of you have chosen to name any other individuals involved. That is understandable, but as long as those choices are made then those at the top of the ladder will avoid punishment and people like you will languish in prison while they find someone else as disposable to do their work."