A lorry driver for a superbike team was jailed today after being found guilty attempting to smuggle drugs, a gun and ammunition through the Port of Dover.

The driver was jailed for 18 years after he and three colleagues were arrested at Dover’s Eastern Docks in April 2011.

Phillip Roe, 42, of Farndale, Whitwick, Leicestershire, was transporting equipment for the Kawasaki World Superbike franchise.

In the trailer of the first lorry Border Force officers found six kilos of cocaine, 68 kilos of cannabis resin, 35 kilos of herbal cannabis and 30 kilos of ecstasy tablets worth £2.5 million concealed in a number of bags and boxes hidden in the seating area.

One holdall containing ecstasy tablets also had a Walther P22 handgun and 35 rounds of live ammunition inside.

Officers searched the second lorry, being driven by Roe, but found nothing suspicious.

The trucks had been at a race meeting in Holland and were returning to their base in Penrith, Cumbria.

Border investigators carried out forensic examinations of the drugs and found Roe’s palm print on one of the boxes containing drugs.

They also found a number of incriminating messages on his laptop, including one stating that the trip to Holland would be a “pay day” for him.

Roe was charged with six counts of attempting to import class A drugs, class B drugs, firearms and ammunition.

The other three men arrested were released without charge.

Following a two week trial at Canterbury Crown Court, Roe was found guilty on all charges and today the judge sentence him to 18 years in prison.

Malcolm Bragg, from the National Crime Agency’s Border Policing Command, said: “This was a brazen attempt to smuggle a large quantity of illegal drugs plus a gun and ammunition into the UK. These drugs would have been worth around £2.5 million had they made it on to the streets.

“Right from the start of our investigation Roe denied any knowledge of this importation and was happy to blame his colleagues and team.

“However, thanks to the close co-operation between NCA investigators and Border Force he has been brought to justice and is behind bars where he belongs.”