British 'drugs kingpin' Robert Dawes jailed for 22 years over cocaine smuggling

A British man accused of being an "international drugs kingpin" has been sentenced to 22 years in jail by a French court, AFP reports.

Robert Dawes, 46, was convicted of helping to import 1.3 tonnes of cocaine into France on a flight from Venezuela in 2013.

Mr Dawes, from Nottinhamshire, who was arrested in 2015 in Spain denied the charges during the two-week trail.

He worked with "top-level criminals" in the Columbian cartels and the Italian mafia to bring the drugs into Europe, the National Crime Agency told ITV News.

The NCA's Deputy Director, Matt Horne said: "Robert Dawes is a very significant criminal and we know that him and his crime group are associated with serious violence, and there have been offences in the UK and internationally, involving beatings, shootings and even murder that are associated with his crime group."

Mr Dawes was arrested after he was filmed admitting ownership of drugs found on a flight from France to Venezuela in 2013.

Facing a panel of judges of Tuesday however, Mr Dawes claimed he knew he was being filmed and made the admission to get himself arrested in order to escape surveillance by Spanish police.

Operating at "the top level of serious organised crime internationally," the NCA said Mr Dawes' drugs trail would also have "a serious impact" in the UK, "blighting communities."

Watch Mr Horne's interview with ITV News:

A video shows Mr Dawes being led away in handcuffs after police in Spain raided his house in 2015.

His home in Benalmadena, Andalusia was searched after police found suitcases of cocaine on the flight from France to Venezuela in 2013.