The recovered cannabis had a street value of �1m

William Hellens, 44, from Sunderland, who had pleaded not guilty to the offence, was convicted on a majority verdict.

He had originally absconded and fled the country during investigations into the offences.

On Wednesday he was sentenced to nine years in prison.

A spokesman for HM Customs and Excise welcomed the sentence.

He said: "This case has been brought about by the hard work of the Customs investigators both in this country and overseas.

"It also highlights the excellent working relationship that exists between Customs and the police in the North East."

In April 1999 Customs officers at Tilbury found 90 kilos of herbal cannabis with a street value of �280,000 concealed within a consignment of 20 tonnes of andalusite - a gravel-type mineral - from South Africa.

Previous shipments

The shipment, which was addressed to a warehouse in Sunderland, was delivered and a continuous surveillance operation was mounted.

However nobody arrived to retrieve the drugs.

Further inquiries by Customs officials and Northumbria Police, resulted in the arrest and charge of Stephen Vaughan from Newcastle and Robert John Anderson from Sunderland.

Both were charged with this importation and four previous shipments.

On 7 February 2000 Vaughan and Anderson pleaded guilty to their part in the importations.

The judge ruled that a total of 360 kilos of cannabis with a street value of over �1m had been imported using andalusite as a cover.

He sentenced Vaughan to six and a half years imprisonment and Anderson to two years.

During the inquiry Hellens was also identified as being involved, but police discovered he had fled to Spain.

Three years later, in December 2002, Northumbria Police stopped Hellens, who was using a false identity, in Sunderland in connection with a minor motoring offence.