Bosses of Britain's largest ever cannabis-smuggling ring lived in Kingston and Surbiton

Although the trial which ended today saw the acquital of four of five of the defendants, the main players in the ring all pleaded guilty before Christmas when faced with months of police surveillance footage.

Terry Bowler, 40, of St Albans Road, Kingston, was a senior controlling figure in the conspiracy who held "board meetings" in places like Cafe Rouge, Esher, recruited new members and rented the lock-ups to store the drugs.

Mark Kinnimont, 39, of Claremont Road, Surbiton, had at least two mobile phones but used a public phone to make calls. He also had a mirror on a stick to check for bugs under his car.

Driver Peter Brown, 37, of King Henry's Road in Kingston, became involved in bringing drugs back to south-west London from Leeds after they were brought in from Holland.

He was later seen disposing of the flowers, in which the cannabis was stored, in a skip - exposing the sham cover of legitimate flower traders.

Timothy Sullivan, 38, from Ash Court, Epsom, organised the transfer of the yellow boxes stashed with skunk cannabis from the warehouses to the lock-ups in Kingston, Surbiton, Ashtead and Epsom.

He was a passenger in a car which tried to flee the country in July 18 but was stopped at the channel tunnel.

For more see www.surreycomet.co.uk/operationkarnak