Dimitrij Špelič, 58, was found with 45 kilo of high quality heroin when his truck was searched at Dover in April.

Customs officials became suspicious after finding that his paperwork from Germany had been forged.

The drugs, which were packed in packages printed with a copy of the Rolls-Royce's 'RR' badge, were found beneath a wooden board underneath stacks of empty pallets and containers.

The prosecution identified Špelič as "a trusted lieutenant in a sophisticated and professional operation to import an extremely valuable consignment of drugs into the UK", according to the paper.

Investigations revealed Špelič had made at least eight trips in and out of the UK before the arrest with a virtually identical load, but it is not clear whether these too were smuggling tours or just dry runs.