He was arrested in April at Stansted Airport as he returned from Spain, where he had stayed for a few weeks. Jordan Quinn, 31, at the time of Valiant Close, West Derby, was sentenced to 14 years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and ketamine and possession of criminal property. Michael Townsend,26, of Grant Road, Huyton was sentenced to six years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, February 9. Harrison Laite used an Encrochat phone to supply multiple kilos of cannabis on the streets on Merseyside. Caine Tanswell, of Yew Tree Lane, Wythenshawe received two years and eight months in prison for conspiracy to supply class B drugs and money laundering. It remains to be seen whether the Scottish courts might take a different view. Communications were stored in or by the telecommunications system by which they were transmitted, or whether they were being transmitted at that point. Roberts, of Circular Drive, Greasby, Wirral was sentenced to 10 years and six months. Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here. Like him, we consider that the communications were not being transmitted but stored at that time. He supplied large quantities of cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamines around the country and was arrested in September last year. The major drug boss, who used the code name 'Bigmninee', was also known within the criminal underworld as a 'go-to man' for crooks who wanted guns. Their EncroChat names were LittleNev, StableToast, and StaleSloth. But when the secret messaging service was cracked by police last year, EncroChat users and their illicit dealings were uncovered. The dad-of-three was exposed as a "wholesale" drug dealer behind the secret handles "TrustPilot" and "PrawnPilot". Stephen Taylor, 33 at the time, of Norlands Park, Widnes, was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court for 12 years eight months for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs and conspiracy to conceal criminal property. The organised crime group based in St Helens traded almost 50kg of amphetamine, but also flogged cocaine across the UK. READ MORE: EncroChat cocaine boss with international links asked dealers to call him 'Jethawk'. EncroChat cocaine smuggler 'SwiftHawk' moaned South American cartels His EncroChat names were TrustPilot and PrawnPilot. He will serve half of that time behind bars before being released on licence. The dealer, of Manorwood Drive, Whiston, was jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to four counts of supplying the drugs. A vast number of cases are awaiting a criminal trial that will rely, to a greater or lesser extent, on the admissibility of communications made via the supposedly highly encrypted Encrochat service. Dean Anderson - Tendayer and FamousSquid. Garvey, who used the EncroChat handles "ChopperReid" and "ButterflyJuice" admitted conspiring to supply cocaine, cannabis and ketamine, conspiring to produce cannabis, and possessing cannabis. It operates using specific handsets provided by the EncroChat system operator and functions on the basis that the EncroChat devices can only communicate with other EncroChat devices. One of the lead cases in the EncroChat criminal litigation has, after a ruling by Mr Justice Dove following a 14 day preparatory hearing, gone to the Court of Appeal after leave to appeal was granted by the Judge due to the issues of public importance that the case raised.. Ian Whitehurst was part of the defence team, instructed by Paolo . That implant caused the device to transmit to the French police all the data held on it. An EncroChat drug gang moved nearly 500,000 of amphetamine branded with pictures of The Beano character Billy Whizz. McMahon was jailed for 12 years seven months. From drug dealers caught through their love of cheese to major drugs operators who supported shooting plots, this is an overview of -- cases the region has heard so far. READ MORE: Dad who became Encrochat's 'go-to man' for drugs and guns, 49. The EncroChat material was obtained by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of French and Dutch investigators and prosecutors by interfering in the EncroChat communications system. READ MORE:Warning issued to drivers travelling home for Christmas over new motorway rule. C (along with co-defendants A, B and D) took his fight to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) following upon a judgment in the Crowns favour at Liverpool Crown Court (see A, B, D & C v R [2021] EWCA Crim 128). The National Crime Agency believes Encrochat was mainly used by criminals, often to trade drugs and guns. Roberts, 57, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin. He used the Encrochat handles Scantbee and Sandferret. EncroChat - the latest news about Operation Venetic - liverpoolecho Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Ultimately Dove J ruled that the EncroChat evidence was admissible and parties went off to the Court of Appeal. EncroChat dealer George Marsh 's international crime network was destroyed by personal messages he sent to his contacts. Devine, of Pete Best Drive, West Derby, was jailed for 17 years and three months after admitting conspiracy to import cocaine and conspiracies to supply cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and ketamine. O'Hare was jailed for six and a half years. Image: Merseyside Police. EncroChat drug dealer David Holgate was busted when he was caught with 176kg of caffeine in the back of his car. The insight into his life allowed detectives to match the messages of EncroChat codenames "SneakyStem" and "WackySilver" to the 33-year-old. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer 'butterflyjuice' jailed for almost a decade. Lenehan had connections to Dubai and exchanged messages suggesting his influence may have stretched to India and Iran. The material was STORED when it was intercepted. It will feature reports from Liverpool Crown Court and crime cases connected to Merseyside. There are others on what's on, politics, court news, Knowsley, Wirral, and arts & culture, as well as both Liverpool FC and Everton FC. Texts showed he discussed the sale of cocaine and heroin with an estimated wholesale value of 521,000, plus 193 kilos of cannabis, worth around 1m. The Dutch phone messaging company charges around 1,500-a-month for. He was caught when police recovered text messages from the EncroChat network. Harrison Laite used an Encrochat phone to supply multiple kilos of cannabis on the streets on Merseyside. Dillon and Keating also admitted conspiracy to transfer a firearm.. Keating was jailed for 22 years and five months; Dillon for 18 years; and Garforth for 15 years. Sam Lewis, 30, of Mardale Road, Huyton, was sentenced to 12 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, ketamine and cannabis between March 20 and June 3 last year.. READ MORE: EncroChat boss 'KeySilver' stockpiled drugs over lockdown fears. The Wirral crook - who had contacts in Portugal, Spain and Germany - shared details about his birthday and the dates of his father's death and funeral. The Joint Investigation Team called its harvesting of EncroChat material Operation Emma and Dove J went onto summarise the way in which it had proceeded. Intercepted Communications as Evidence: The Admissibility of Material Talbot and Ward also admitted conspiring to supply Class B drugs. Their capture followed a raid at the home of Paul Dillon, 32 at the time, a few months earlier on Tuesday, June 30, when police seized almost 30,000 in cash. The Scale of Criminality shows that during the capture period, he was involved in agreeing to supply 23.5kg of cocaine and in the movement of 305,000 in cash relating to the supply of drugs.". He admitted conspiracy to supply 31 kilos of cocaine, 200 tablets of MDMA, 14 grams of ketamine, 51 kilos of cannabis and four kilos of heroin. Liam Hughes, 24 at the time, of Robson Street, Everton, was sentenced to 14 years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs (cocaine and heroin); conspiracy to supply Class B drugs (cannabis and conspiracy to possess/convert/acquire criminal property. A prolific drug dealer was busted over messages from . When the case came before Liverpool Crown Court the judge (Dove J) directed that a preparatory hearing should be held to determine the admissibility of the EncroChat evidence. He also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis. Talbot, of Elson Road, Formby, was locked up alongside James Ward, 32, of no fixed address but from Kirkby, and Jamie Carlton, 40, of Church Road, Waterloo. READ MORE: Grandad EncroChat dealer 'lockstar' busted after posting selfies at home, 61. George Marsh - SneakyStem and WackySilver. He delivered at least 44 kilos of cocaine and stored hundreds of thousands of pounds of cash in his family home in Linkside Road. A text messages sent to Encrochat users after police infiltrated the network (Image: Liverpool Echo). But it was EncroChat messages, recovered in April 2020, which gave officers the additional evidence to blow the lid on the network. The approach of those facing charges based on Encrochat devices has been varied. Pinnington was jailed for nine years and four months. READ MORE: Taxi driver's secret life as 'NuttyLeopard' EncroChat drug dealer. This was also to be served consecutively to the drugs tariff he was already in jail for. Alan, formerly of Regency Park, Widnes, was sentenced to a further eight years for conspiracies to cause GBH with intent to both Liam Byrne Jnr and Liam Byrne Snr. Townsend was convicted of conspiracy to supply cannabis and acquire/use/possess criminal property. 28 Apr 2023 20:28:52 Mark Dumbell, 30 at the time, of Warrington Road, Prescot, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, cannabis and ketamine. Daniel Wilson, 33, of Silverbeech Road, Wallasey, was sentenced to seven years and eight months after pleading guilty to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis and conspiracy to convert criminal property in relation to the proceeds of his crimes. Ryan Pugh was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply multi-kilo quantities of Class A and B drugs. Police were able to prove he had supplied six kilos of cocaine and approximately four kilos of cannabis. A judge said it was an "extremely grave offence" as he jailed Talbot for 21 years and nine months. The fact that Dove J found that the material was obtained in compliance with French Domestic law in undoubtedly important, as is the fact that the Investigatory Powers 2016 is (by section 272) extended to Scotland. He admitted conspiracy to supply 31 kilos of cocaine, 200 tablets of MDMA, 14 grams of ketamine, 51 kilos of cannabis and four kilos of heroin. Moore, whose four previous convictions include a money laundering conspiracy, admitted conspiring to supply cocaine and heroin, from April to June last year. Operation Venetic is the biggest and most significant operation of its kind in the UK. As it was succinctly put by Chief Justice Lord Burnett of Maldon in the Court of Appeal, the issue in this appeal is whether evidence obtained from a mobile phone system known as EncroChat, which was marketed to its users as totally secure, can be admitted in evidence in criminal proceedings or is excluded by the Investigatory Powers Act 2016. Alan Tobin was sentenced to 20 years in jail and John received a 19 year and eight month sentence following a Cheshire Police probe linked to the seizure of 186kg of cocaine. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer 'LovelyGiant' used 'key worker' to ferry cocaine in lockdown. The 48-year-old, of Grosvenor Road in Wavertree, used the handle "TameWelder" on the secret phone network. READ MORE: Dealer 'Vilecrusher' told police: 'Anyone whos had those Encros is f***ing going'. READ MORE: BT engineer's double life as EncroChat user 'Normalair' who bragged about lavish contacts in Dubai. Dozens of criminals embedded in Merseyside's underworld have been jailed after an international operation brought down EncroChat. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer boasted of 'mayday' airport smuggling scheme, 43. He was jailed for four years. Ricardo Hughes - NovaCoast and Christopher Dooley - OctoOx. The identity of the crook who has adopted the name of the Reds' Brazilian shot stopper on the secret phone network remains a mystery. They were both then sentenced in connection to a gangland shooting in Warrington. But detectives swooped on the cocaine, heroin and cannabis dealer as he tried to cross the channel at Folkestone in Kent, on July 20, 2020. Dooley, 35, of no fixed address but from St Helens, was jailed for nine years after admitting conspiring to supply Class A and B drugs. John, formerly of Manor Road in Prescot, was handed two and a half years for participating in the activities of an organised crime group. READ MORE: 'Bro we be multimillionaires in three months haha' boasted dealer. Ward was involved in transporting about 48kg of Class A drugs, from March 31, 2020 for about two and a half months. Their capture followed a raid at the home of Paul Dillon, 32, a few months earlier on Tuesday, June 30, when police seized almost 30,000 in cash. READ MORE: Dad moved 4.5m of cocaine and heroin for international drug lord. READ MORE: Window cleaner became 'MajorFox' in EncroChat ring after business dried up, 50 - 51. READ MORE: 'Money man' stashed 800k of dirty cash for EncroChat gang, 63. Claire and Amy McGlone admitted their role in a conspiracy which saw them move 17kgs of Class A drugs across the UK in a six week period in 2020 along with cannabis and tens of thousands in cash. The views of the Justices of the Court of the Appeal will no doubt carry great weight north of the border. They both pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply the three drugs. That article focused upon an unsuccessful attempt by C to pursue judicial review proceedings designed to challenge the European Investigation Order (see R v Director of Public Prosecutions [2020] EWHC 2967 Admin). He was charged with conspiracy to supply class B drugs cannabis and money laundering. Harding was jailed for 18 years and five months. Dentith, 29, of College View, Huyton, was sentenced to 17 years three months after pleading guilty to supply cocaine and ecstasy. He was also particularly active in the Cheetham Hill and Oldham areas of Manchester. A crew of EncroChat drug dealers who traded with figures in the Liverpool underworld ran an operation spanning the length and breadth of the UK. Jordan Quinn, 31, of Valiant Close, West Derby, was sentenced to 14 years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and ketamine and possession of criminal property. 13:42, 20 JAN 2022. Laite admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis. Appeal Court decides EncroChat-encrypted phone records can be used in criminal trials. Anderson, who was the owner of Bromborough Skip Hire at the time, was found to have sourced, purchased and sold approximately 30kg of cannabis, 20kg of heroin and 20kg of high purity cocaine between April 3, 2020 and June 2, 2020. READ MORE:Sisters used Encrochat handle 'MoodyAlpha' to ferry kilos of drugs across UK, 66. The prosecution case heard that "messages show that the Defendant was involved in receiving, transporting and distributing vast commercial scale quantities of cocaine. Michael Townsend,26 at the time, of Grant Road, Huyton was sentenced to six years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, February 9. The six-man crime group from Warrington, Manchester and Hertfordshire were all involved in supplying drugs worth almost a quarter of a million pounds. EncroChat dealer Nathan Harding was busted by police after sharing a photo of himself holding cannabis. Loftus was jailed 22 years. He used the MagicCider handle between April to May 2020, before it was passed over to another dealer, his drug courier Craig O'Hare. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer busted after being caught with 176kg caffeine haul. The Royal Marine turned drug dealer who boasted: "Bro we be Holgate admitted conspiring to supply ketamine, possessing criminal property and possessing amphetamine with intent to supply. The judge asked the court to. READ MORE: EncroChat dealers planned to flood Merseyside with Class A drugs. Two drug dealers involved in a huge cocaine plot were arrested as they tried to board a flight to Spain at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. The Premier League has been urged to re-examine assurances given by Newcastle's Saudi owners that the Middle East state would not have control of the club following the filing of a new court . READ MORE: 'Milliondolla' EncroChat user said he had cocaine 'coming out me ears'. READ MORE:EncroChat dealer 'famoussquid' flooded UK with cocaine from Colombia. Something went wrong, please try again later. READ MORE: Secret gang messages of SnowEmu, SacredMask and MancJoey that brought them down, Jordan Alvis, 35, of Trent Close, West Derby, was sentenced to nine years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply ketamine and heroin and conspiracy to conceal criminal property. The then 40-year-old, of Watergate Way, Woolton, acted as a gangland accountant and oversaw the counting or "flicking" of ill-gotten gains. Police also found a kilo of amphetamines in his basement, valued at 800 to 2,000, which when adulterated could have sold for up to 10,000. Alan Tobin - CapeRocket and John Tobin - SlightDrake. READ MORE: 'Bagbangboomboom' Encrochat dealer raided by police, 41. READ MORE: Gun thugs and gangland brothers jailed for botched underworld shooting, Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here, Raids carried out as part of the EncroChat probe Operation Venetic. Mark Evans - MangyStaff, John James Reilly - Wideorchid, Keith Kemp, and Caine Tanswell - Ivyhawk. They were both then sentenced in connection to a gangland shooting in Warrington. Carl Stewart, 39 at the time, of Gem Street, Liverpool was sentenced to 13 years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin, MDMA, ketamine and transferring criminal property. Jack Pritchard, 29, of Mavis Drive, Coppull, Lancashire, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs cocaine, and was sentenced to 10 years. The 34-year-old, who also interchanged the spelling of his surname to "Badibango", was detained by detectives after a series of raids in Formby and another in Whiston, which led to him being taken into custody. Police also found a kilo of amphetamines in his basement, valued at 800 to 2,000, which when adulterated could have sold for up to 10,000. Following a police hack of the EncroChat network, officers were able to link the then 45-year-old to the phone, on which he discussed smuggling hundreds of kilograms of cocaine on boats. January 7, 2021. Nathan Harding - MagicCider and LesserHedge and 36. The key findings of Dove J on this question are to be found at paragraph 63 of the judgment: (Dove J) found that the communications were extracted directly from the handset of the user and not while they were travelling to, through or from any other part of the system. Jack Stanley Jones, 27, of Hey Park in Huyton, was sentenced to 16-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin, MDMA, cannabis and methamphetamine. It then supplied the material obtained to UK authorities where it was used in a large number of criminal investigations, including the one that led to this prosecution. In one conversation he asked the defendant how much he was currently counting and he told him 250,000. Police raided his home in Marley Close, Rainhill on June 16 last year and found rooms matched photos sent by Moore on EncroChat. He added: "And it wasn't just in France. That helped detectives link Holgate to an EncroChat profile with the handle LoftyWizard and the supply of more than 50kg of ketamine, to five different contacts. The 57-year-old had worked with others to order the massive haul, 8kgs of which was his. EncroChat - the Court of Appeal Judgment - LinkedIn His EncroChat names were Speciallivy and Customcab. His Encrochat handle was ToffeeForce and he was identified after sharing an image on his Encro device of a block of cheese in the palm of his hand, from which his fingerprints were analysed. After law enforcement agencies had taken down or compromised other providers, many European criminals flocked to EncroChat. Liam Hughes, 24, of Robson Street, Everton, was sentenced to 14 years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs (cocaine and heroin); conspiracy to supply Class B drugs (cannabis and conspiracy to possess/convert/acquire criminal property. An EncroChat drug gang moved nearly 500,000 of amphetamine branded with pictures of The Beano character Billy Whizz. As for the Liverpool hearing scheduled for later this month, Jinnah and Schofield said that judges on other cases are waiting for the hearing's outcome which will see whether the Encrochat data . Michael Burns, 39, of Plymyard Avenue, Eastham, Wirral, was sentenced to 12 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs. Heffey was found to be using the EncroChat handles 'Activegamer' and 'Lemonisland' to supply large quantities of heroin, cocaine and cannabis. He also pleaded guilty to importation of Class A and B controlled drugs into UK, conspiracy to produce cannabis, conspiracy to convert criminal property for playing a leading role in drug importation, which saw police seize 18kg of cocaine concealed in children's Duplo boxes of Lego. Keating admitted conspiring to supply 30kg of cocaine and large quantities of cannabis; Dillon admitted conspiring to supply 3kg of cocaine, large amounts of ketamine, and to supplying more than 500,000 of cannabis, and Garforth admitted conspiring to supply 10kg of cocaine. Carl Stewart, 39, of Gem Street, Liverpool was sentenced to 13 years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin, MDMA, ketamine and transferring criminal property. Ricardo Hughes, aka EncroChat user "NovaCoast", and Christopher Dooley, aka "OctoOx", were identified as key players in the plot. When you've made your choice, press the Save Changes button at the bottom. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer's empire crushed after he told contacts when his birthday was. Dillon used the EncroChat codename "WaspLawn", while Keating used the handles "DullTuna" and "WealthyMace", and Garforth called himself "DiorIce". A top EncroChat drugs boss was busted after police identified him through his Costco membership. Amy McGlone, 38, and Claire McGlone, 35, were both jailed at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer bragged he'd use cocaine and heroin to fund house extension, 42. The EncroChat servers were in France and the French Gendarmerie found a way to send an implant to all EncroChat devices in the world under cover of an apparent software update. Christopher Dooley, 35, of no fixed address but from St Helens, James Ward, 32, of no fixed address but from Kirkby, Jamie Carlton, 40, of Church Road, Waterloo. He was jailed for six years and eight months. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer nicknamed 'coastalsummer' tried to flee naked through window in raid, 31 David Pinnington - LoftyHail and 32. This came to be the key conflict in the case. His EncroChat handle was NormalAir, READ MORE: BT engineer's double life as EncroChat user 'Normalair' who bragged about lavish contacts in Dubai. Hughes, 53 at the time, of Rock Lane, Widnes, was jailed for 10 and a half years after admitting conspiring to supply Class A and B drugs. An EncroChat dealer flooded towns and cities across the UK with high purity cocaine from Colombia. READ MORE: Gang threatened to 'chop off ears' and hold iron to chest of pensioner, 38. Paul Dillon, 32, of Norlands Park, Widnes. Alan Tobin - CapeRocket and John Tobin - SlightDrake. Jordan Talbot was exposed as EncroChat boss "LittleNev" - a leader of a plot involving "at least" 500kg of Class A drugs. Five of the men also conspired to commit a robbery in which they planned to tie up the victims at their home and cut off the ear of one of them. Two brothers who used encrypted phones to deal in massive amounts of heroin, amphetamines and cannabis have been jailed. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. The 40-year-old, of Watergate Way, Woolton, acted as a gangland accountant and oversaw the counting or "flicking" of ill-gotten gains. Bradley Luxton laughed with a fellow drug dealer that they would need 'loads of Skys' - an alternative platform to EncroChat. Ward was involved in transporting about 48kg of Class A drugs, from March 31, 2020 for about two and a half months. The then 30-year-old used the handles Specialivy and Customcab to sell a variety of class A and class B drugs including ecstasy tablets, cocaine and cannabis. He was brought down by an investigation that led to police storming his home on Park Road North in Birkenhead, as well as two container units in the town, in June, when they seized a Rolex watch and 82,000 in cash. Keating admitted conspiring to supply 30kg of cocaine and large quantities of cannabis; Dillon admitted conspiring to supply 3kg of cocaine, large amounts of ketamine, and to supplying more than 500,000 of cannabis, and Garforth admitted conspiring to supply 10kg of cocaine. His EncroChat names were SneakyStem and WackySilver. Dozens of Merseyside's most hardened criminals have been jailed in recent years after an international operation brought down the EncroChat network. Opinion: US talc litigation a cause for concern, Opinion: Human rights defence not so easy elsewhere, Opinion: Blasphemy, human rights and a very naughty boy. A judge said it was an "extremely grave offence" as he jailed Talbot for 21 years and nine months. When the case came before Liverpool Crown Court the judge (Dove J) directed that a preparatory hearing should be held to determine the admissibility of the EncroChat evidence. An overview of the cases linked to the major investigation into the use of communications network EncroChat by the region's underworld. In my last article on this topic I predicted widespread legal challenges to attempts by prosecutors to lead evidence obtained as part of the Encro Hack carried out by French police in May 2020.