Haulier jailed for part in drug case
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• A Kent haulier and another man convicted for their parts in a cannabis smuggling operation have been jailed. Paul Furmage, of Rainham, was sentenced to 10 years and Gary Price, of Hothfield, received eight years at Canterbury Crown Court.
Both had been found guilty at the end of the four-week trial. Two other defendants, Michael Prowse and David Huff, were acquitted. After nearly 10 hours' deliberation the jury failed to reach a verdict on the charges against lorry driver Carl Barrell, of South Park Road, Maidstone. He now awaits a possible re-trial.
Joseph Boothby, for Furmage, said that although his role appeared to be that of a principal in the organisation, it might well be that there were others, larger and richer than him, who were "pulling the strings".
"Furmage is typical of the small one-man-band hauliers who struggled through hard times and who are prone to temptations put in their way," he added. "I ask the court to treat him as a relatively small fish."
The men had all been charged with smuggling half a tonne of cannabis worth .£2m into the UK.
Jailing both men, Judge Anthony Webb said that they had been convicted on clear evidence.
The trailer had been skilfully converted to conceal the cannabis and he told Furmage he had no doubt he was in Spain to oversee the loading.
He said Furmage played a pivotal role and people such as him who took part in arranging the import of massive quantities of drugs should know there was a high price to pay if caught.