City man pleads guilty to drug plot.

AMAN from Liverpool is among nine facing jail today over offences linked to the seizure of what police have described as "phenomenally pure" cocaine with a street value of up to pounds 100m.

Gary Hyland, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply amphetamines and cannabis, and is due to be sentenced with the others at Birmingham Crown Court after drugs were found in three locations in the West Midlands on February 23.

The court has heard that around 95kg of cocaine was found at an industrial unit. A further 5kg was discovered hidden in a Vauxhall Astra van, pulled over by police in Harborne, and 50kg was found in a van stopped on the M6.

Prosecutor Tim Mousley, QC, said that if the drugs - the biggest seizure of its kind in the West Midlands - were cut down to a purity of 5% and sold one kilo at a time, they would have fetched pounds 100m.

When police searched the warehouse they also discovered 161kg of cannabis, estimated to be worth pounds 450,800, and 14,000 counterfeit pounds 1 coins.

Mr Mousley said: "During the latter part of last year and until their arrests in the spring of this year, these defendants were involved in the extremely large-scale criminal distribution of drugs in the West Midlands and beyond.

"The drugs involved were cocaine, herbal cannabis and amphetamines.

"The defendants were effectively involved right from importation.

Each defendant played a different but important part.

"If sold one kilo at a time, the cocaine would have a street value of pounds 7.5m.

All nine defendants pleaded guilty to a variety of charges at an earlier hearing.