An Orpington man jailed for helping import millions of pounds worth of cocaine from Malaga to Portsmouth has had his prison sentence increased.

The Court of Appeal has extended the sentence of Michael Ebanks, of Sevenoaks Road, from 15 to 20 years.

The 33-year-old was sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court in July after being found guilty of conspiring to import cocaine.

His accomplice, Mark West, of Purley, has had his sentence extended from 14 years to 19 years.

The men were caught after UK Border Agency officials intercepted a lorry and trailer arriving at Portsmouth International Port on October 18, 2012.

Customs officers discovered 52 kilos of high-purity cocaine hidden inside the lorry within three shrink-wrapped wooden pallets.

The estimated street value of the cocaine was between £4.8 million and £10.4 million.

Arwel Jones, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s complex casework unit, welcomed the Court of Appeal’s decision.

He said: "We carefully considered these sentences and were of the view that details of them should be sent to the Law Officers for them to consider whether they should refer these sentences to the Court of Appeal on the basis that they were unduly lenient.

"Today the Court of Appeal upheld this assessment.”