Three RAF servicemen who were part of a gang that smuggled an estimated seven million cigarettes into Britain on military flights from the Middle East were jailed today.

Hauls of cigarettes were flown into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and RAF Lyneham in 2008 and 2009 in a "well thought out and professionally planned" operation.

They were then transported to the North East of England and sold on without paying import duty or VAT.

Corporal Stuart Helens, 31, Sergeant Stuart Walker, 43, and Senior Aircraftman Paul Garbutt, 31, all admitted their part in the conspiracy.

Civilians Lisa Harrison, 36, Alison McCabe, 45, and Christopher Garbutt, 26, Paul Garbutt's brother, also owned up to being part of the scam between late 2008 and May 2009.

The three servicemen pocketed up to £30,000 each before the swindle was rumbled, Bristol Crown Court heard.

Analysis of mobile phones, computers and other documents by HM Revenue and Customs investigators found that at least 1.14 million cigarettes were smuggled on flights from Muscat, Oman - evading around £204,000 in duty and VAT.

Another six million cigarettes were smuggled in on flights from Kabul, Afghanistan, evading almost £1.1 million in duty and VAT.

Prosecutor Ian Dixey said the serviceman - who all worked as "air movers" loading and unloading military aircraft - exploited their position of trust to smuggle cigarettes into the UK from Afghanistan and Oman.

"The case involves the smuggling of a substantial quantity of cigarettes using RAF flights from the Middle East," he said.

"There was an ongoing arrangement to buy cigarettes abroad and smuggle them into this country via RAF flights and then distribute them without any tax being paid in this country."

Mr Dixey explained that shipments before loading onto aircraft military shipments would be checked thoroughly in a secure compound.

After leaving the compound it would be the job of the "air movers" - the military equivalent of civilian airport baggage handlers - to load the aircraft.

"Once they have left the secure compound, the loading of the aircraft is entrusted to the RAF movement personnel," Mr Dixey said.

"It is essential the aircraft are loaded very quickly under the cover of darkness and those loading the planes are entrusted with the safe loading of items onto the flights.

"Unfortunately that also provides a cover to allow items to be secreted onto the flights in a way that is done in this particular case.

"The one way the system falls down is if items are secreted after the security checks have taken place.

"Rather worryingly anybody who had realised what was going on could have put something into the large containers that were being loaded."