Three British 'drug smugglers from gang responsible for 10% of cocaine shipped into Europe' are led into Greek court for trial under heavy security - as global manhunt continues for leader dubbed 'UK'

Four British men said to be part of a major organised crime group responsible for more than 10 per cent of cocaine shipped into Europe have gone on trial in Greece, MailOnline can exclusively reveal. No other British media was in court for the proceedings which began after a lengthy year-long undercover operation involving officers from the US Drugs Enforcement Agency as well as Greek and Italian police. The three men who did appear were led handcuffed from a prison van – which had arrived with an armed police escort - into the building, and taken to the third-floor court room where proceedings lasted all day The four men – who were brought under heavy security from Thessaloniki jail where they have been on remand - were named in court as Neil Jones, 46, Anthony Bennett, 49, John Ellis, 39, and Stephen Wray, 52, and all are from Liverpool The suspects allegedly smuggled the huge £12million haul in a banana shipment from Colombia In a dramatic development prosecutor Alexandra Xoleva explained Wray had been rushed to hospital just hours before the start of the trial suffering from severe abdominal pains and was not expected to be discharged for several days. The four suspects were arrested at the £1,700-a-month rental property where one of them allegedly tried to snatch an officer's gun The British men were held after 297kg of cocaine was found in a consignment of bananas that had arrived in the Greek port city last summer said to be worth £42 million Police said along with the drugs, which had been divided into 260 packages, a pistol loaded with nine rounds, a box of 41 cartridges, 1,000 Euros in cash, 11 mobile phones and portable radios were also seized in the bust Investigators believe the British men are working in tandem with the Calabrian mafia in southern Italy, known as the 'Ndrangheta and who have long established links with the South American cartels Investigators believe the British are working in tandem with the Calabrian mafia in southern Italy, known as the 'Ndrangheta and who have long established links with the South American cartels. It can also be disclosed one of the men on trial is wanted in connection with the brutal murder of Tomasz Samel, who was kidnapped in the West Midlands and set on fire, dying in hospital from horrific injuries three months after he was attacked Officials said the men were linked to another consignment – just under 700kg- which was again found in a cargo of bananas that had come from South America via the Italian port of Gioia Tauro Footage shows armed police arriving on the property where one of the suspects tried to grapple a gun The drugs were smuggled in boxes of bananas shipped in containers into Europe Four Britons were arrested in a raid on a luxury Greek villa after police seized 660lbs of cocaine in a major drugs bust No other British media was in court for the proceedings which began after a lengthy year-long undercover operation involving officers from the US Drugs Enforcement Agency as well as Greek and Italian police The reports said he may be personally in control of around 10% of the world's cocaine trade but it is not clear if this man is the same person being held in Holland as officials refused to disclose any details.