FOUR Essex men have been jailed after police seized £50million worth of cocaine from a van and a taxi at Tilbury docks.

Greg Spiers, 48, of London Road, Billericay, was jailed for 19 years on Friday following a five-week trial at Woolwich Crown Court.

Tony Rees, 31, of Cecil Avenue, Chafford Hundred, was jailed for 15 years, Danny Hannaway, 25, of Lea Road, Grays, was jailed for 11 years and Danny O'Sullivan, 32, of Oxwich Close, Corringham, will spend 12 years and six months behind bars.

They were all convicted of conspiracy to supply and import controlled drugs.

The court heard that the two vehicles were stopped by officers from the Met Police's special intelligence section (SIS) as they were about to exit the docks in the early hours of July 21 last year.

Two hundred kilograms of high purity cocaine was found in the taxi and the two male drivers were arrested.

Three more men were arrested by dog units following a foot chase across marshland.

When they were arrested, they had taken off their shoes and most of their clothes.

Following enquiries by SIS detectives and Essex Police, two more men were arrested.

Those arrested were suspected of being part of an organised criminal network concerned in importing cocaine to the UK and supplying the drugs to London dealers.

In February 2015, a further 25 kilogrammes of cocaine was seized en route to the network.

According to the Met Police, the £50million value of the drugs would have generated significant criminal proceeds whilst at the same time increasing drug-related street crime in London.

Investigating officer, Det Insp Andy Whitewood, of the Met’s special intelligence section, said the bust dealt a "significant blow" to the organised group of drug dealers in the capital.

He said: "The success of this operation was the result of our ongoing partnership with the National Crime Agency, UK Border Agency and Essex Police, delivering a significant blow against a sophisticated organised criminal group that was intent on supplying drugs to the most vulnerable communities in London.

"Cocaine weighing 225 kilograms would have made in excess of £50million had it reached the street-level sellers it was intended for.

"The vast majority of these drugs were destined for the streets of London, where drug sales line the pockets of criminals and blight the communities in which they are sold.

"Clearly, substantial levels of crime would need to have been committed to generate the funds necessary to purchase these drugs. This would have included burglary and robbery offences which have a devastating effect on the victims.

"Drug supply on our streets brings fear to our communities and the Met is determined to prevent it at every possible opportunity."

The other arrested men were all found not guilty of conspiring to supply and import controlled drugs.