A BUSINESSMAN who smuggled almost £60,000 of illegal drugs through the post and sold "legal highs" from a Broadstairs bungalow has been jailed.

Jeremy Detheridge, 26, of Devonshire Gardens, Ramsgate, was sentenced to three years behind bars after facing five charges of importing controlled drugs and possessing class B drugs.

Detheridge imported chemicals from China disguised as lawn-feed, which contained controlled and uncontrolled substances.

He later admitted selling legal highs, including one called Happy Kat, online when questioned by UK Border Agency (UKBA) officers.

He was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday in what is thought to be one of the first cases of its kind in the UK.

Assistant director of UKBA's criminal and financial investigations department Malcolm Bragg said: "Detheridge's sentence should act as a warning to those who attempt to smuggle illegal drugs into this country by whatever means.

"Our officers are on constant alert to keep drugs and other banned substances out of the UK.

"Drugs devastate lives and communities."

UKBA officers intercepted parcels containing class C drugs Lignocaine and MBZP -a recently banned legal high – at Stansted Airport on Monday, April 19, 2010.

The parcel, sent from China, was addressed to "David Saunders" at a bungalow in Botany Road, Broadstairs.

Officers intercepted a second parcel containing class B drug dimethylcathinone sent to the same address on Friday, May 14, 2010.

Following a probe, they found half a kilo of white powder, measuring and weighing equipment, packaging materials, business papers and a book on legal highs when they raided the bungalow on Thursday June 24, 2010.

The powder contained a mixture of controlled and non-controlled drugs with a street value of £59,000.

Officers began investigating Detheridge after a package arrived for him during the raid.

They discovered eight websites in Detheridge's name, including happyKat.co.uk – a site trading in a legal high of the same name.

Detheridge was arrested and questioned after he surrendered to UKBA on Thursday, July 1, 2010.

He admitted being involved in selling legal highs but denied any knowledge of controlled drugs.

Some of the substances contained in the chemicals imported by Detheridge had been outlawed in April 2010 – weeks before they were seized.

Detheridge admitted the charges on Friday, November 11 to five drug counts of possessing and smuggling charges.

A second man, David Truelove, 40, of Rumsfield Road, Broadstairs, received a £815 fine after he admitted possession of cannabis at Canterbury Crown Court on Wednesday, October 19.