A Crystal Palace man and his twin brother have been jailed after helping to smuggle millions of pounds worth of heroin into the UK.

Almir Gocaj, of Belvedere Road, and Altin Gocaj, from Lambeth, were both sentenced at Kingston Crown Court today for conspiracy to supply heroin.

Almir Gocaj was sentenced to 12 years and Altin Gocaj sentenced to nine.

The twins were arrested at drugs factories in Osprey Court and Belvedere Road in Crystal Palace on June 19 last year.

Officers found them in possession of two kilograms of heroin, a drugs press and mixing agents.

Police also recovered cash in sterling and euros totalling £210,000.

Five other men part of the same drugs gang were also jailed today for conspiring to supply heroin.

Ringleader Sami Qerkini, from Edgware, who was a leading member of an Albanian organised crime group, was jailed for 22 years.

The 49-year-old had spent more than 20 years developing an extensive network of associates to source, import and supply drugs.

Qerkini and his associates led what appeared to be regular daily lives running cafes to try to remain beneath the radar of police investigators.

The prosecutions follow a complex investigation by detectives from the Met Police codenamed Operation Ninjask.

Eight other gang members were previously jailed for 80 years for their part in the conspiracy, which saw £40 million of Class A drugs smuggled into the UK from mainland Europe.