POLICE have revealed more details on the arrest of three men who were found with £300,000 worth of cocaine and a bag containing almost £95,000 in cash on a Wyke street.

Peter Rawson, 40, of Stone Acre Court, West Bowling; Klodian Bajrakurti, 28, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent; and Arif Paca, 22, of George Hudson Tower, Stratford, were jailed at their sentencing hearing at Bradford Crown Court this week.

The men had admitted drug and money laundering offences, and being part of a conspiracy to transport high quality cocaine from the south coast to Bradford.

Rawson was given a nine and a half year sentence for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and money laundering, Bajrakurti to four and a half years, and Paca for four years, both for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

The men had been arrested during a dramatic armed raid on Clayhill Drive in Wyke on April 23.

Residents of the street were stunned when several police vehicles descended on the road shortly after lunch and the men were led to police cars by armed officers.

In court it was heard the men acted as couriers and handlers for the drugs.

West Yorkshire Police has now given details of the arrest operation.

"Officers observed a Renault Laguna on Wilson Road, Wyke, Bradford, with Bajrajurti in the driver's seat and Paca as a passenger. Rawson was seen exiting a premises on Clayhill Drive carrying a bag. He entered the Renault Laguna and a short time later exited the vehicle still carrying the same bag.

"While officers were arresting Paca and Bajrakurti, Rawson was again seen exiting a premises on Clayhill Drive and observed throwing an item into a neighbouring garden. Rawson was detained and the item recovered. Within the bag was 2.97 kilograms of cocaine at 73 per cent purity with an estimated value of £300,000.

"A search was carried out at Rawson's address and a bundle of Bank of England notes was seized. The bundle contained £94,415."

At the trio's sentencing, Judge Johnathan Rose acknowledged the men were on "one of the bottom rungs" of the ladder when it came to the conspiracy and said: "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."

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Jon Key, of West Yorkshire Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said: "We are pleased with the sentences handed out and hope this serves as a message to others who are involved in large scale drug supply and money laundering. This goes to show how seriously the courts and West Yorkshire Police take this kind of offending."