A criminal mastermind who took flying and sailing lessons in a bid to widen his empire by smuggling drugs into the country has been jailed for 16 years.

Kevin Booth was described as “a professional criminal at the highest level” by the judge who sentenced him at Bradford Crown Court today.

The court heard that Booth, 49, of Dob Kiln Lane, Bingley, was the figurehead of a conspiracy involving drugs valued at £1.3 million.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Paul Kirman, 44, of Huyton, Merseyside, a trusted courier and warehouseman, was jailed for seven years after admitting conspiracy to supply class A drugs and possessing class A and B drugs with intent to supply.

Booth’s son, Michael Booth, 21, of Cleckheaton Road, Bradford, pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a class A drug and was jailed for 21 months.

The court heard he was of previous good character and was sucked into the plot to win the approval of his father.

Prosecutor Nick Lumley said Kevin Booth had spent 24 years of his life in jail for offences including wounding with intent, conspiracy to burgle, robbery and false imprisonment.

Mr Lumley said police put Booth under “close and careful surveillance” in the spring of last year and was tracked meeting criminal associates.

Booth took sailing and power boat lessons and flying lessons at Leeds-Bradford International Airport.

The court heard Booth set up a safe house to cut and pack the drugs in a flat in Denholme Gate Road, Hipperholme.

On July 30, Kirman drove from Liverpool to meet Booth at Brighouse Motor Auctions as police watched.

Booth drove off at speed and crashed his car. Police chased him on foot and he was caught with a holdall containing five kilos of cocaine valued at £300,000.

Kirman was arrested later that day after trying to escape by climbing out of a window at his home.

More than 20 kilos of drugs were discovered at his flat.

Police searching the safe house in Hipperholme found more drugs valued at more than £1 million. In all, police seized 65 kilos of drugs, including cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis and fluoro-amphetamine.

In mitigation, Kevin Booth’s barrister, Ricky Holland, said it was a cautionary tale for anyone who thought there were easy pickings to made in the drugs trade but he stressed that his client was not being sentenced for importing drugs.

The court heard Kirman was not an organiser and not in on the plot at its inception.

Stephen Wood, for Michael Booth, said he loaded bags of cutting agent into the safe house on one occasion.

Judge Jonathan Rose told Kevin Booth: “It is almost trite to say that you are a career criminal – a professional criminal.”

Booth’s motivation was “overwhelming greed” and his time behind bars would spare society from his criminal ventures.

The judge said the plot involved “truly staggering amounts of class A and B drugs”.