Albanian Sami Docat, 35, was pulled over with £219,250 worth of cocaine before officers found another stash worth £266,340 at his flat in Selsdon Road last August.

Docat, who was smuggled into Britain in the back of a lorry, was arrested after police stopped his VW Passant near the home he shared with his girlfriend Marina Seinopoulou, 31.

Officers found 878g of cocaine in the car and another 927g in the flat, in Selsdon Road, along with £26,000 in cash.

Docat was using two false Portuguese identity documents but it is not known when he entered the country.

He later claimed to have became involved in drug dealing to repay the £8,000 he owed to the people-smuggling gang who arranged for him to enter the UK.

Judge Stephen Kramer QC told him: “You say you were working off a debt by dealing in class A drugs but the prosecution say you have a significant role.

“You were in this for financial advantage even if you were not acting alone.”

Seinopoulou, who claimed she was in love with Docat and was unaware of his drug dealing, was jailed for three years.

The Old Bailey heard the pair were in the car together in Selsdon Road when they were stopped by police at around 7.30pm last August 25.

Edward McKiernan, for Docat, said: “He went to an address and told that he was required to work off his debt doing what he was directed to do. On the date in question he was told he needed to convey the drugs to a particular location in south London and he was stopped.”

Docat admitted two counts of possession of class A drugs with intent, two counts of possessing a false ID document and one count of possessing criminal property. Seinopoulou was convicted of possessing class A drugs with intent following a trial.