Detectives helped smash a multi-thousand pound drugs conspiracy in Medway after planting a bug in one of the boss's Mercedes car.

As the leaders plotted their plans to expand into Canterbury, Southend and the north of England police were listening in.

Yesterday, eight of the gang received jail sentences totalling more than 39 years at Maidstone Crown Court after admitting a conspiracy to supply drugs.

They are bosses and lifelong friends Michael Odedina, 31, of Marina Heights, Pearl Lane, Gillingham, and Kazeem Akinfolarin, 30, who lived on the Isle of Sheppey.

Akinfolarin and Odedina each received a sentence of nine years and eight months.

And "runners" were also sentenced – Romel Fregis, 28, of Peckham (43 months); Andrew Huntley, 31, of Hopedale Road, Greenwich (eight years and a month); Francis Sunney-Ackon, 28, of Upper High Street, Epsom, Surrey (27 months); Mark Downes, 47, of Normandy Road, Cleethorpes (37 months); Batare Evwierhoma, 28, of Lewisham (18 months, suspended for two years, and 200 hours on unpaid work) and Peter Symonds, 48, from the Grimsby area (33 months).

The judge also ruled that the time the defendants had spent on tag awaiting sentence will be taken off the sentences.

Detectives believe the gang netted up to £500,000 from Class A drugs sales – although the charges only involved deals which netted them an estimated £150,000 between December 2016 to October 2018.

Judge Philip Statman told them: "The supply of Class A drugs undermines communities. This was an extensive County Lines drugs operation with its tentacles stretching into other areas."

He told Akinfolarin that he was a "highly intelligent" man who used "all that intelligence at your disposal" in a criminal enterprise, "bringing misery and degradation to others... but I accept that you have since turned around your life".

The judge added Odedina, who became a father five days ago, had also worked since his arrest to help others stay away from drugs.

The network – known as TJ – used hire cars and frequently changed phones to avoid detection by police and had safe houses including one at Columbine Road and Albatross Avenue in Strood.

But they didn't know that undercover cops had stashed a device into one of the vehicles and were listening to the secret conversations.

Prosecutor Martin Yale told how "bosses" Akinfolarin and Odedina were "at the top of the hierarchy in this conspiracy."

He added: "They held the main drugs lines and the other defendants worked at their instigation and direction.

"The Medway/Kent arm of this drugs network operated under the name 'TJ', the Grimsby arm operated under the name 'Alpo'.

"It is a feature of this case that those selling drugs at street level used hire cars to drive round the locality. Those cars were paid for by the network.

"In particular there is clear evidence of Akinfolarin arranging for payments for hire cars for others to use.

The Crown says this was in an effort to reduce the risk of detection and those hire cars were regularly changed.

"They would each be hired for only a week or so, sometimes the lease being slightly extended, and then the hire car would be returned and another leased immediately."

He added: "Evwierhoma travelled in the hired car to various locations in Medway, including to individuals’ home addresses, supplying Class A drugs.

"Some of those he visited were known drug users, to whom the bulk text message had been sent.

"One of those to whom he dealt, Souleiman, was later stopped by the police and found to be in possession of two wraps of heroin and one wrap of crack cocaine"

The court heard how Souleiman's telephone was examined and texts from the TJ line advertising 'dark' (heroin) were found.

The prosecutor said the gang also targeted vulnerable people in the Medway towns and used their homes to store drugs.

"It was, effectively, being run as a business, with a hierarchy and employees. As with a business, there came a time when they decided to expand into other geographical areas, including Southend and Grimsby."

In August 2017 Akinfolarin enjoyed a holiday in Morocco but after landing at Gatwick immediately continued his drugs operation.

On Wednesday, September 6, police raided the safe house and during the search officers found a carrier bag containing drugs paraphernalia with names and telephone numbers on it.

Mr Yale added: "One of the numbers had TJ written next to it.

"It is clear that there was a degree of sophistication with the enterprise Akinfolarin and Odedina were running, ably assisted by Huntley.

"It was, effectively, being run as a business, with a hierarchy and employees. As with a business, there came a time when they decided to expand into other geographical areas, including Southend and Grimsby."

In December 2017 police installed a listening device in Akinfolarin's Mercedes - and heard how he and Odedina and others were supplying Class A drugs.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided to drop charges against one of the women who lived in one of the safe houses - ruling she was a "highly vulnerable" drug addict who had been exploited.

After the hearing the judge commended Det Con Dean Sycamore for his dedication and said the people of Kent can be assured the streets were now "a little safer".

Det Con Sycamore said: "This was an organised criminal network which distributed and supplied crack cocaine and heroin across England, targeting vulnerable drug users in order to make significant financial gains.

"Through our investigation we estimate that hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of drugs were sold as part of this criminal network. Drugs not only ruin the lives of those using, but affects their families and adversely affects communities that suffer associated crime."

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