Mohammed Muntaz Khan, 42, from Reithway in Accrington, Lancs, was sentenced to five years in prison.

Michael Hartley, 55, from Snowdon Avenue, Blackburn, Lancs, was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

And Francis Jenkins, 47, of Woodhall Road, Liverpool, pleaded guilty and received two years.

Easy money

Detective Inspector Graham Herman from the major crime unit with Lancashire police said the men stood to make more than �1m.

"Having set up all the equipment in preparation for this, the sky really was the limit for them," he said.

"Once you start to create counterfeit currency, you can very quickly make a lot of money.

"Had this conspiracy not been stopped when it was, we would have been looking at upwards of �1m of counterfeit money being manufactured."

Burnley Crown Court heard the scam involved false passports, stolen cars and secret meetings in takeaway restaurants.