A GANG have been jailed for almost 20 years for conspiring to flood Blackburn with cocaine.

Preston Crown Court planned exchange of around half a kilo of the drug took place on a car park at a Manchester retail park, with the drugs destined for Blackburn.

One of the four sentenced Shahid Mushtaq, 30, was not in court having absconded during his trial, where he was convicted of conspiracy to supply.

Formerly of Clarendon Road, Manchester, he was given nine years jail.

Tariq Lal, 41, of Moss Gate, Blackburn was given five years prison after admitting being concerned in the supply of cocaine.

Another man, Stephen Boushear, 39, of Meadow Street, Darwen, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years prison after pleading guilty to possessing drugs with intent to supply.

Murtaza Ilyas, 29, from Birmingham, was given three years and four months after admitting the conspiracy charge.

The court heard that on June 16, 2008, a "carefully arranged" drug deal took place in the Crownpoint retail park car park in Manchester.

A total of 487 grammes of cocaine, with a 41 per cent purity, were being sold wholesale.

From telephone traffic, it was clear that Mushtaq had arranged the sale and he was the vendor, the court was told.

He had stationed himself in a meeting place many hours before the transaction took place and had his young son with him, as well as Ilyas.

Boushear was the "front man" for the cocaine and was to transport it back up to the Blackburn area.

Judge Norman Wright told the three in the dock: “People who deal in Class A drugs should realise that they are dealing in misery, degradation and not infrequently, death."

The court heard Mushtaq had previous conviction for conspiracy to supply more than 130 kilos of cannabis, imported from Holland, for which he got a four year jail term.

Lal, who had no previous drug convictions, only got involved on the day of the offence and had travelled with another man to the area, but did not become involved in the actual transfer.

Boushear was the courier and had a long standing cocaine addiction.

He had no previous convictions and had served in the armed forces for nearly ten years.

When discharged from the services, he had an exemplary record and decorations.