A MEMBER of an organised crime group working out of an industrial unit in Westbury has been jailed for five-and-a-half years.

Marcin Kosma was caught with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of vehicles and plant, some loaded up and ready for export to Poland.

Despite the 34-year-old being caught a day after some of the lorries had been stolen he pleaded not guilty to the charges at Swindon crown court.

But last month a jury convicted him of one count of conspiracy to handle stolen goods and four of handling stolen goods.

Police raided the premises on Engineer Road at the West Wilts Trading Estate on July 9, 2011, and found the collection of stolen vehicles and tools worth £365,000.

On a Renault lorry belonging to Kosma they found a John Deere tractor and a JCB mini digger which had been stolen in the days before in Gloucestershire.

The lorry was all ready, with a driver, who was unaware of the criminal activities of the gang, due to take the load to Poland.

Inside officers found a Massey Fergusson tractor, worth £115,000, a £30,000 Noble sports car and a VW Golf GTi worth £12,000.

A quantity of car parts, worth about £8,000, was also recovered along with other items.

Marcus Davey, defending, said Kosma, of Marleys Way, Frome, was a 'lieutenant' in the operation, pointing out he was the only one in the dock.

He said when he took up the lease on the premises it was for legitimate trade and he was due to be paid a set fee for his part in the export of the stolen goods.

But Judge Euan Ambrose rejected both suggestions, saying he was sure the unit had been hired for crime and Kosma would have received a cut of the proceeds.

Mr Davey said his client had a partner and young child and feared he would miss his son growing up if he was jailed.

Passing sentence the judge said "You were, on my assessment, close to the thieves as evidenced by the short period between of time between theft and receipt and the evidence of your vehicles travelling to collect the items.

"Their high value is aggravating, the level of organisation, and the level of profit aggravates the case. As does the fact that your handling went beyond just the conspiracy, to the other counts on the indictment."