A TILBURY man has been jailed for 18 years after he was identified as the ring leader of a drug trafficking gang - laundering millions through sham companies.

Eight members of the crime group led by Tilbury’s Baljinder Kang were jailed on Friday for a total of 70 years.

Members of the organisation supplied, cocaine and other illegal drugs, and transferred at least £1.8million in illicit profits offshore via sham company bank accounts.

Kang, who led the gang and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle, is facing 18 years behind bars, while his right hand man Sukhjinder Pooney, from Gravesend, was sentenced to 16 years.

Members of the crime group trafficked millions of pounds-worth of illegal drugs across England.

The proceeds were then deposited in cash into front company bank accounts, before being transferred to a destination account in Dubai.

During the course of the investigation, officers seized more than £1.4million in cash, with at least £1.8 million more known to have been laundered by the criminal network.

The police operation resulted in the seizure of over 37kgs of Class A drugs - including heroin and cocaine with a street level value of more than £3.5 million - a handgun with ammunition, and 50kgs of ketamine.

Numerous additional drug deals, including one representing “53¾” kg bought, were noted in ledgers found by officers searching Kang’s home address after he was first arrested in January 2018.

Despite having very little legitimate income, Kang lived a lavish lifestyle.

He purchased luxury goods from designer stores including Gucci and Harrods and owned watches worth £12,000 and £36,000.

He also leased a Mercedes and an Audi A3, and travelled regularly to the United Arab Emirates.

John Coles, NCA head of Specialist Operations, said: “This investigation has systematically broken up a significant criminal organisation which operated across the south east, west midlands and into the north of England.”

Kang admitted the charges against him on May 23 this year.

Six other men were jailed for their involvement in the drug supplying gang.