A cage fighter who helped plan Britain's biggest cash heist, the £53 million pound robbery of a Securitas depot, was jailed for 18 years today.
Paul Allen (31), pleaded guilty last week to playing a part in the 2006 hold-up in Tonbridge, Kent.
He admitted three charges of conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to rob, and conspiracy to possess firearms as a re-trial was due to begin at Woolwich Crown Court.
His admission came on the basis that he was neither one of the robbers who entered the depot nor one of the kidnappers of depot manager Colin Dixon and his family.
Allen fled to Morocco with fellow cage fighter and best friend Lee Murray, believed to be the heist's mastermind, after the robbery.
The pair splashed out on sumptuous villas and expensive jewellery, while thousands of pounds were also spent on plastic surgery for their wives and girlfriends.
But the men's spending spree, which included buying cocaine and gambling in casinos ended after just four months when they were arrested by Moroccan police.
Allen spent 20 months in a Rabat jail before being extradited while Murray, whose father was Moroccan, has claimed Moroccan nationality.
Authorities in the north African country turned down an extradition request, although he remains behind bars.
"This was ... organised banditry for uniquely high stakes," Judge David Penry-Davey said.
"It is clear that as a long-term friend and associate of Murray and with knowledge of what was being planned, you played an active part in various aspects of the preparations for the raid."
Depot manager Dixon and his family were kidnapped to allow the gang to gain entry, and 14 staff members were tied up at gunpoint as the robbers stuffed cash into a 7.5-ton lorry during the 66-minute raid.
Kick boxer Lea Rusha, car salesman Stuart Royle, unemployed Albanian Jetmir Bucpapa, and garage owner Roger Coutts were last year all jailed indefinitely with minimum terms of 15 years after being convicted of taking part in the robbery.
Inside man Emir Hysenaj, an Albanian, who filmed the interior of the depot using a miniature camera, was given 20 years. Police have only recovered 21 million pounds of the stolen haul.