Juan Jose Larez, 40, of The Cloisters, Leyland, was jailed for his part in trying to smuggle six kilos of the class A drug

Juan Jose Larez, 40, of The Cloisters, Leyland, was jailed for his part in trying to smuggle six kilos of the class A drug into the UK through Manchester Airport. He was identified as ringleader of a five-strong gang behind the attempted plot. The jail terms follow a major investigation by HM Revenue and Customs which brought the gang down. His Honour Judge Henshall explained in his summing up at Manchester Court that he believed Larez - who also has an address in Venuzuela and is believed to spend most of his time there - was the main mover behind the plot.Officers from the UKBA originally detected the drugs on September 18 last year when a party of five people arrived on a flight from Paris to Venezuela.Officers searched baggage and discovered the class A drugs, which have a street value of £500,000, concealed within suitcases. Nick Shaw, of criminal investigations HMRC, said: "Working with our colleagues in the UKBA and prosecutors from RCPO, we will take every action to detect, seize and bring those smuggling drugs into the country before the courts.