Eight members of a nationwide drug distribution ring have been jailed following the biggest ever police seizure of cocaine in the West Midlands.

Officers recovered 150 kilos of the drug worth £7.5million but with a potential street value of £100 million after raiding an industrial unit in Dudley in February.

Birmingham Crown Court was told that the man at the heart of the network was Keith Jeremy who was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by Judge Richard Griffith-Jones.

In passing sentence the judge described cocaine as a pernicious drug which had a "corrosive effect" on the people who used it.

"In this case there was a very large quantity, the largest ever seized in the West Midlands with a high level of purity. For those involved in the cocaine conspiracy I have no doubt that it was the intention of the defendants to make very large profits.

"The conspiracy was a sophisticated one and at the centre of it was Jeremy. I am satisfied, on the evidence, that you orchestrated the distribution of cocaine from the Midlands to various parts of the UK.

"You lived an opulent life style with a well furnished home and a number of vehicles."

He said although Jeremy may have financed his lifestyle through cannabis dealing, he had the strength of personality, the financial clout and established network to be successful in cocaine dealing as well.

Jeremy, 43, of Whitehouse Common Road, Sutton Coldfield, had admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis.

Martin Askew, 38, of no fixed address; Dean Letts, 39, of Greenvale Avenue, Sheldon, Birmingham; Gavin Griffiths, 28, and Lee Welsh, 30, both of Habberley Road, Rowley Regis, Sandwell, and John Pollard, 34, from Nottingham, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Askew was jailed for 15 years, Letts and Welsh for 13-and-a-half years, Griffiths for 12 years and Pollard for five years.

Gary Hyland, 34, from Liverpool, who admitted conspiracy to supply amphetamine and and cannabis was sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment while David Loone, 44, of Cropthorne Road, Shirley, who pleaded guilty to possessing drugs money, was given a two-year sentence.

Robert Marchant, 62, from Newport, South Wales, who also admitted possessing drugs money, was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for one year.

Judge Griffith-Jones said Askew had links with the continent from where the drugs came while Letts was Jeremy's right hand man in the West Midlands operation and active in the distribution of the cocaine.

Tim Mousley QC, prosecuting, said the drugs which came from Holland were delivered to a unit at an industrial estate in Dudley, run by Griffiths and Welsh, where they would be divided up and packaged and taken on the road to various parts of the country including Liverpool, Nottingham, South Wales and London.

He said Jeremy had little hands-on involvement but preferred to arrange transport with couriers in whom he had complete confidence.

A police surveillance operation culminated in February 23 this year when a raid was carried out at the unit, a number of defendants' cars were stopped and their homes searched.

Speaking outside the court, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Griffiths, who had led the investigation into the nine men, said: "I am extremely pleased with the result of the court. It reflects the serious nature of the criminals involved.

"As a force, we are committed to reducing harm in our community. On a personal note, I am really proud of the work of my team."

Mr Griffiths said they will now work on seizing the assets of the men.

He said: "We will take their assets from them, we will take their homes and their cars and plough that back into investigating crime."