A LEADING member of a heroin trafficking gang was jailed for 18 years on Monday for trading in "human misery".

Nigie Ramadan, 46, of Lea Bridge Road, used his legitimate rag trade business as a front for a lucrative smuggling operation.

A senior judge told Southward Crown Court that Ramadan was one of five London-based dealers who formed a "sophisticated" and "well oiled" supply chain.

Each member of the gang performed his role "with a minimum of fuss" and everyone "knew their part".

The supply chain in east London was smashed following an undercover operation by the National Crime Squad.

Officers swooped to find 14.9kg of heroin, at between 59 and 63 per cent purity, which was about to be sold on.

The court heard that the unusually high purity level showed the £1.5 million consignment was close to the source of the supply. It would be cut at least one more time before being dealt at street level.

A second batch of the drug, recovered in the same operation, weighed 0.69kg at around 40 per cent pure.

It was said to be worth £46,688 on the streets.

As well as Ramadan, also in the dock were Stelios Costa, 30, from Palmers Green, Hokar Uddin, 40, of Manor Park, Nicos Kyriacou, 22, of Oakwood and Erdin Hassan, 46, of Hanbury in east London.

All five were convicted over two trials of being concerned in the supply of the 14.9kg of heroin between March 6 and 7, last year.

In addition, Uddin was found guilty of being concerned in the supply of 0.69kg of the drug between February 28 and March 9, last year.

The court heard how a courier was sent by Costas and Kyriacou to Kingsland Road on March 8 last year to collect the heroin from Ramadan.

The courier returned to Whitechapel to deliver the drugs to Uddin.

He was to arrange delivery to the purchasers.

But police swooped to seize the contraband and, later, the second smaller stash from a hiding place under a bath at a property used by the gang.

Jailing the gang, Judge Christopher Elwen said that amongst the mischief in trading in hard drugs was the "harm caused to the community at large".

He added: "Not least the widespread petty offending by addicts who need to raise money to purchase drugs.

"They are first pushed into degradation and then fed a slow death."

Ramadan and Costas were named by the judge as the "principal organisers" in the gang and were each jailed for 18 years.

Hassan, who was described as Ramadan's "gate-keeper", was jailed for 12 years.

The two other defendants received 14 years each.