Two men caught ferrying a £50,000 drugs haul in a black cab have been jailed.
William Ellis and Christopher Willis, both from Kirkby , were stopped by police in Barrow on January 5.
A search of the taxi they were travelling in led to the discovery of amphetamines and cocaine.
The cocaine was hidden in a tin of paint.
Willis told police he was a taxi driver with no knowledge of the 2kg of amphetamines and 100g of cocaine in his vehicle.
The 35-year-old refused to answer further questions.
Ellis said he was asked to deliver the drugs, given a value of up to £50,000 by police, to pay off a debt.
The 41-year-old refused to tell police any more details.
Both admitted possession of Class A cocaine and Class B amphetamine with intent to supply and were jailed at Preston Crown Court this week.
Ellis, of Leeside Avenue, was sentenced to two years and eight months in jail and Willis, of Ennerdale Close , was given a term of two years and three months.
The pair are the latest men from Merseyside to be jailed for drug offences following an investigation by Cumbria Police.
The towns of the county are among a number of areas where drugs networks rooted on Merseyside are said to have influence.
Merseyside Police has worked with the force in recent months, carrying out raids targeting those suspected of being involved in illicit operations that stretch to the streets of Cumbria.
A spokesman for Barrow Drugs Unit said: “These men were found in possession of a considerable amount of drugs which would otherwise have found its way onto the streets of Barrow and beyond.
“Cumbria is no soft touch when it comes to illegal drugs and these two men are just the latest to have travelled to the county and learned this fact the hard way.
“We would continue to urge people in Barrow – and across the county – to be our eyes and ears and alert us to any suspicions of drug dealing in their community.”
