DRUG dealers from East Lancashire who were part of a network which relied on military-grade encrypted phones to stay one step ahead of the police have been jailed for 18 years.

Detectives say the gang sourced state-of-the art mobiles to run a "sophisticated" cocaine ring across the county and Greater Manchester.

But their carefully-laid plans spun out of control after a car belonging to one of their couriers was pulled over and seven kilos of high-purity cocaine were seized, Manchester Crown Court was told.

This sparked a series of increasingly anxious phone calls between the cross-border drugs merchants.

Raids were later conducted across the north-west and three men from Burnley and Pendle were caught up in the fall-out from 'Operation Legend', the court heard.

Michael Grattan, 31, of Lower Clough Street, Barrowford, and Liam Carroll, 20, of Prestwich Street, Burnley, each convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine, were both were jailed for six years.

Dean Ashworth, 31, of Garnett Street, Burnley, was jailed for six years previously after being convicted of conspiracy to supply cocaine and possession of a prohibited CS gas spray.

Ringleader Robert Foxen, of Rocky Lane, Eccles, who co-ordinated dealers on the encrypted phones, was jailed for 10 years over the same conspiracy.

A trusted lieutenant, Alan McNally, handled the gang's finances but was found with £124,000 in bank notes, when the police came calling. He was jailed for 80 months. Eight other men from the Salford and Bury areas received similar sentences.

Speaking after the hearing, Supt Howard Millington, of Salford Police, said: "This group clearly ran a sophisticated operation. But their illicit drugs enterprise was brought to a halt by officers from the serious and organised crime group, working together with our partners.

"These individuals thought they could outsmart the criminal justice system by use of an elaborate supply network, enabled by encrypted communication, in order to swamp Greater Manchester and Lancashire with illegal and dangerous drugs. However, their control is now over."