FOUR Kent men have been jailed for their part in smuggling £1.4million worth of cigarettes into the country. A fifth was given a curfew order.

John Bourne, a haulage boss, was sentenced to 21 months, Robert Nichols 18 months, and Shane Peckham and Nicholas Rockenbauer, 15 months. James Cuthbert will be tagged under the 7pm to 7am curfew order for six months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard how about £209,000 in duty was evaded when the tobacco was brought into the country in a Dutch-registered lorry driven by Rockenbauer.

The 74,000 packets of cigarettes arrived at Dover docks on July 9 last year along with a load of drinking glasses.

David Ross, prosecuting, said Rockenbauer, 37, should have taken the glasses to a depot in Essex but made a detour to Bourne's yard in Longfield.

There, the cigarettes were transferred to an empty truck. Rockenbauer went on to complete the delivery of the legitimate cargo.

Customs officers moved in and made arrests. The lorry containing the illicit cargo was stopped that evening in Headcorn.

Rockenbauer, of Spinney Lane, Aylesham, and Cuthbert, of Wrangleden Road, Park Wood, Maidstone, denied evading duty, while Bourne, of Longfield Road, Longfield Hill, Longfield, Nichols, of Lorimar Court, Sittingbourne, Peckham, of Summerhill Road, Marden, admitted the charge.

Michael Levy, for Cuthbert, 45, said his client did not play an organisational role and should be at the bottom of the sentencing bracket.

William Glossop, for Rockenbauer, said Customs had given the father-of-two, who worked for Anderson Transport in Ashford, their blessing to continue driving abroad after his arrest.

Judge Croft told the four he jailed: "I am dealing with a substantial amount of money you have stolen from the rest of us, money which would be far better spent helping others and providing the needs of society. You chose to try and divert it into your own pockets."

The judge said it was clear the operation was well organised with a number of people in the gang.

Rockenbauer's part, he said, involved a massive breach of trust and he brought suspicion on his employer. Bourne, 37, had played a leading part as an organiser and allowing his yard to be used.

The judge said Peckham, 38, was an organiser but it was difficult to say how high up the ladder he was. Cuthbert was not brought in until the gang had "begun to spread out."