Members of a drug smuggling ring that imported millions of pounds worth of heroin and cocaine have been jailed.

The head of the network, Sami Qerkini, 49, of Brook Avenue, Edgware, was sentenced to 22 years at Kingston Crown Court today for supplying heroin.

A total of six other members of the ring, from across London, were also sentenced today for a total of 55 years between them for supplying heroin, including Armando Oruci, 40, of Birkbeck Road, Tottenham, who was sentenced to 12 years.

Eight other members had previously been sentenced for a total of 80 years for their part in the conspiracy, which saw more than £40m worth of Class A drugs smuggled in from mainland Europe, before being sold in England.

All eight had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

This included Admir Doda, 38, of Reynolds Drive, Edgware, who was jailed for 15 years at Southwark Crown Court on 17 September 2013 for supplying cocaine.

Bledar Hysenlika, 30, of Sunningfields Road, Hendon was jailed for ten years and nine months at Southwark Crown Court on 17 September 2013 for supplying cocaine.

Henri Stafhasani, 32, of Heritage Avenue, Colindale received ten years and four months at Southwark Crown Court on 17 September 2013 for supplying cocaine.

Hyseni Meta, 37, of Woodstock Avenue, Golders Green was jailed for six years and four months at Southwark Crown Court on 17 September 2013 for supplying cocaine.

Eliasaf Marqeshi, 33, of Sunningfields Road, Hendon was jailed for five years and three months at Southwark Crown Court on 17 September 2013 for supplying cocaine.

The drug ring operated from safe houses across London, and members ran a number of cafes.

Qerkini, who was a leading member of an Albanian organised criminal group for more than 20 years, was arrested in September 2013, after police raided an address in Walthamstow, and found him in the kitchen mixing heroin.

Approximately 8kg of Heroin was seized from the address, and around £2,000 in cash.

He was arrested and charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Police officers raided other safe houses, where they recovered more drugs and cash, and arrested other members of the drug ring.

Qerkini pleaded guilty to two separate conspiracies, one stretching from 2008 to 2010 and the other from 2012 to 2013.

He fled the UK in 2010, following the arrest of more than 20 of his associates for drug dealing and money laundering, after the discovery of two drugs factories and the interception of a boat which contained cocaine worth an estimated street value of £375 million.

The defence accepted that the network headed by Qerkini had supplied between 400 to 500kgs of class A drugs between September 2012 and September 2013.

The prosecutions follow an investigation by detectives from the Met’s Central Task Force, which was codenamed Operation Ninjask.