A further eight men from a Whitechapel drugs gang have been jailed.

Samad Uddin, 28, of Chicksand Street, Whitechapel, Nawfal El- Ghaibouz, 21, of Commercial Road, Shadwell, Mohammed Moshin, 42, of Orion House, Bethnal Green, Noor Hussain, 21, of Martineau Square, Whitechapel, Shane Bates, 21, of Cornwall Street, Shadwell, Ismail Kiani, 20, of Campbell Road, Bow, Mohammed Muttaqir Rahman, 20, of Geoff Cade Way, Bow, and Tahmid Hussain, 21, of The Quarterdeck, Isle of Dogs, were sentenced yesterday.

They were given a total of 24 years in jail for drug supply offences.

The longest sentence went to Samad Uddin, who pleaded guilty on 18 July to the supply of crack cocaine and heroin, and possession with intent to supply cocaine and heroin. Possession of criminal property charges are to lie on file.

The men were convicted following raids in June and July as part of operation Continuum. Fifty people have been charged in connection with the operation, and over the past two months, 32 men and four youths have pleaded guilty to more than 70 drug offences.

During the investigation, detectives posed as drug users, meeting gang members in Whitechapel streets to pick up wraps of crack cocaine and heroin.

On August 17, 16 men from the gang were sentenced to 49 years in prison following a four-month police operation which unearthed more than £60,000 in cash, more than half a kilo of Class A drugs and four stun-guns.

Det Ch Insp Mike Hamer said: “Removing these men from our streets is an incredible result for the local community and London as a whole. They were all linked to the supply of crack cocaine and heroin and putting them in jail will severely disrupt the supply of drugs in the area.”

Mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs, added: “This is a great result. Residents have told us that anti-social behaviour and crime associated with drugs is one of their biggest concerns, and our work with the police is tackling this head on.

“Our joint message to drug dealers is clear – we will push for the strongest penalties for those who peddle drugs in the borough.”

A further 10 people arrested in connection with the investigation have been released on bail.

Ten men pleaded not guilty to drug offences and have been remanded in custody to appear for trial later in the year, and three men are due to be sentenced on August 31.