A Dutchman was behind a multi-million pound drugs plot to ship “massive consignments” of heroin, amphetamine and cannabis into the UK – including 14 lorry loads of drugs to Bradford – a jury has heard.

Jackie Heinen, 52, denies conspiracy to supply Class A, B and C drugs by sealing them in taped-up boxes on pallets at his business in The Netherlands and sending them by road to Britain.

The jury at Bradford Crown Court was told that Heinen was not in court for his trial.

He had apologised to the jurors and said he could not raise the money to travel to England to face trial.

Jason Pitter, for the Crown, alleged yesterday that Heinen “organised and co-ordinated” the shipping of the drugs consignments from his office base.

Mr Pitter told the jury that Andrew Varey and Maxine Robinson, who ran Varey Shop Fitters, in Shipley , had been convicted of their role in the conspiracy, between March and August 2008.

The prosecution said that Heinen’s company, J P Logistics, was responsible for shipping the drugs into the UK.

In November, 2007, customs officers in Dover intercepted a van from the Continent containing amphetamine and cannabis resin with a £2.5 million street value.

Mr Pitter said that this was the first shipment from J P Logistics that then sought alternative routes into the UK.

On August 14, 2008, French customs officers seized heroin and cannabis valued at £10 million bound for Varey and Robinson’s premises in Shipley.

Mr Pitter said the German driver was not knowingly involved in the plot.

The security seal on the cargo was unbroken and it was packaged and loaded at Heinen’s offices in The Netherlands.

The Crown’s case is that a previous 13 consignments, between March 3 and August 14, 2008, to the Shipley address contained illegal drugs.

Heinen’s premises were searched by the Dutch police on August 15, 2008, and documents, packaging and a mobile phone seized.

He told the police he was unaware there were drugs in the boxes of plastic fittings bound for the UK.

The trial continues.