Major crime figures were among over 800 Europe-wide arrests after messages on EncroChat were intercepted and decoded. Liam Garvey, 28, was arrested at his home on The Boulevard, Thatto Heath, St Helens on May 13 this year as part of the police operation targeting criminals who used the encrypted network. For more news and features about London directly to your inbox sign up to our newsletter here. Peter Heron was caught supplying cocaine and cannabis as part of the EncroChat hack. Stephen Taylor, 33 years, 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. After French and Dutch police broke into EncroChat, British police were permitted to use their findings, meaning UK police forces were then able to kick down doors and make arrests. There are other newsletters available too if you want them as well. Do you know anything else about Encrochat or its owners? 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. The encrypted communications system was used by many high profile organised . 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. Townsend was convicted of conspiracy to supply cannabis and acquire/use/possess criminal property. The NCA and European partners shared data from the encrypted communication system EncroChat with the Met Police, which led them to make over 170 arrests and seize 13.4 million pounds in cash . 26-year-old Michael Townsend of Grant Road, Huyton was sentenced to six years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court today, Tuesday 9 February. Peter Heron, 48, of Grosvenor Road in Wavertree. 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. The Le Parisien report did not publish Paul Ks full name. The 49-year-old was stopped after officers became suspicious of his taxi credentials when they spotted his vehicle on the M62 in June. Dentith, 29, of College View, Huyton, was sentenced to 17 years three months after pleading guilty to supply cocaine and ecstasy. Alan Tobin - CapeRocket and John Tobin - SlightDrake. The 29-year-old planned to move abroad as soon as his licence period for a past sentence for trafficking cocaine expired. But it was EncroChat messages, recovered in April 2020, which gave officers the additional evidence to blow the lid on the network. At the time, Motherboard did not name this EncroChat member due to the risk they faced being deeply involved in an encrypted phone company that ultimately led to the arrests of thousands of alleged organised criminals. 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. EncroChat dealer Nathan Harding was busted by police after sharing a photo of himself holding cannabis. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer 'Tamewelder' caught with ten kilos of cocaine and weed. Read about our approach to external linking. READ MORE: EncroChat drug boss caused his own downfall after his joke texts. Encrochat users don't use their real names, but false names, known as "handles". We'd love to hear from you. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer 'LovelyGiant' used 'key worker' to ferry cocaine in lockdown. 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. He has now been charged over firearms offences, and being concerned in the supply of Class A and B drugs . READ MORE: EncroChat dealer's empire crushed after he told contacts when his birthday was. 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. 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In the UK, the National Crime Agency (NCA), working with regional organised crime units, the Metropolitan Police and other law enforcement agencies, made more than 2,600 EncroChat-related arrests . It's free, easy and takes no time at all. 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. Since then, while thousands of career criminals have been arrested, prosecuted or convicted as a result of incriminating phone messages sent over EncroChat, police have been seeking information about the networks operators. He used the MagicCider handle between April to May 2020, before it was passed over to another dealer, his drug courier Craig O'Hare. Liam Garvey - ChopperReid and ButterflyJuice. John, formerly of Manor Road in Prescot, was handed two and a half years for participating in the activities of an organised crime group. He supplied large quantities of cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamines around the country and was arrested in September last year. The ANOM platform - unlike Phantom Secure, EncroChat, and Sky Global - was exploited by the FBI from the very beginning of ANOM's existence and was not an infiltration of an existing popular encrypted communications company. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer boasted of 'mayday' airport smuggling scheme, 43. The dad-of-three was exposed as a "wholesale" drug dealer behind the secret handles "TrustPilot" and "PrawnPilot". Dutch police said the containers were found before they were used, and potential victims were now in hiding. Details of the arrests were first published in French newspaper Le Parisien. The eight arrests are thought to be the first arrests of people involved in the setting up and running of EncroChat. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Michael Devine had shared details of his membership on the EncroChat encrypted messaging platform. More than two tonnes of drugs, several dozen guns and 54m in suspect cash . Shaun Harrison, 33, of South Street, Thatto Heath, was sentenced to 10 years eight months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and cannabis. Paul Dillon, 32, of Norlands Park, Widnes. 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. Image purporting to show drugs seized by police in a series of raids in SE London, Kent and Sussex yesterday (September 22). #encro Three men have been arrested in London and two in Western Sydney following the seizure of 450 kilos of MDMA hidden within an excavator that was shippe. Operation Eternal has been called 'the most significant operation the Met has ever launched against serious and organised crime', Stories from court and the latest breaking crime news sent right to your inbox. Garvey, who used the EncroChat handles "ChopperReid" and "ButterflyJuice" admitted conspiring to supply cocaine, cannabis and ketamine, conspiring to produce cannabis, and possessing cannabis. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Nathan Loftus was involved in importing tens of kilos of heroin and cocaine from Holland into the country through Liverpool. They found 26,710 in cash in a . READ MORE: EncroChat dealer 'RecoveryMan' boasts about the quality of his 'Charlie', Gavin Jones, 42, of Houlgrove Road, Vauxhall was jailed for 14 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. READ MORE: 27m drug boss caught fleeing to Spain in BMW with girlfriend after spending spree, 56 - 58: Alexander Keating - DullTuna and WealthyMace, Paul Dillon - WaspLawn, and Dylan Garforth - DiorIce. In a joint operation, European and British law enforcement agencies recently arrested hundreds of alleged drug dealers and other criminals after infiltrating into a global network of an encrypted chatting app that was used to plot drug deals, money laundering, extortions, and even murders. Jordan Hughes traded cocaine and heroin with crooks using names of Liverpool FC stars on EncroChat. Liverpool's courts are some of the busiest in the UK, with a huge variety of cases being heard each week. ", Liverpool transfer news LIVE - Jude Bellingham boost, Goncalo Inacio scouted, Moises Caicedo decision. The 48-year-old, of Grosvenor Road in Wavertree, used the handle "TameWelder" on the secret phone network. His Encrochat handle was AtomicMantis and he was the first to be convicted on Merseyside as part of Operation Venetic. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? U.S. authorities charged him under RICO, a law traditionally reserved for crime bosses. The containers were located in Wouwse Plantage, south of Rotterdam, after French police cracked encrypted phones used by criminals. 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Craig O'Hare - also MagicCider. Talbot, Carlton and Ward all admitted conspiring to supply Class A drugs and possessing criminal property. He used EncroChat under the name of 'Big Tyson'. When he finally pulled over, police searched the vehicle, revealing the huge quantity of caffeine, set to be used to adulterate ketamine, and 1,030 in cash. Read More Related Articles. The suspects were arrested on 22 June following a Franco-Dutch operation to infiltrate the EncroChat encrypted phone system. From drug dealers caught through their love of cheese to major drugs operators who supported shooting plots, this is an overview of 60 of the cases the region had heard about so far. Now he has been arrested in the Dominican Republic. George Marsh - SneakyStem and WackySilver. It was used primarily by organized crime members to plan criminal activities. EncroChat messages showed 10 weeks of multi kilo trading between April 1 and June 13, 2020 but notes on Talbot and DampHedge's EncroChat devices showed the "full scale" of the scheme, dating back . EncroChat conversations between Simon Roberts, who used the names 'MajorFox' and 'FanaticFirm' and other members of the conspiracy revealed that on one occasion he was entrusted with 8kg of cocaine and 485,000 in cash. READ MORE: EncroChat dealers 'Laughingstorm', 'Kindtailor' and 'Wiredfork' see empires crumble after hack. A judge said it was an "extremely grave offence" as he jailed Talbot for 21 years and nine months. Skillen, 35, of Long Lane, Orford, Warrington, was found to be an EncroChat user, using the handle "SavageArrow". The identity of the crook who has adopted the name of the Reds' Brazilian shot stopper on the secret phone network remains a mystery. After locating the containers in April in Wouwse Plantage, near the Belgian border, police put the area under observation and found that multiple men were working on them almost every day. Then last year, U.S. authorities also charged Jean-Francois Eap, the CEO of the largest encrypted phone company called Sky Global, with similar offenses. He also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis. It operated on customised Android phones and, according to its website, provided "worry-free secure communications". But at least the CIA's mistakes were understandable in many cases. To join and get updates, click here and you can also follow Neil's Facebook page here. 08 June 2021.