[Manchester CC]:
Our client is charged with the supply of more than 100 kilograms of Class A drugs, money laundering offences and the possession and supply of firearms and ammunition. The charges were brought following a covert police operation. This is a complex investigation into the activities of an alleged Manchester-based organised crime group (OCG). Material disclosed to date includes evidence obtained by various investigatory tactics including covert surveillance, forensics and telecommunication data analysis derived following the interception of EncroChat phones.
[Reading CC]:
Our client and others were charged with conspiracy to import large quantities of Class A and B drugs from OCGs into the UK. The drugs were allegedly exchanged for cash or bitcoin, taken to drug houses and adulterated for onward sale to purchasers from dark web marketplaces and other OCGs for their supply chains. The prosecution says that the group ran a sophisticated operation involving the use of ‘smokescreen’ tactics to avoid detection. These included EncroChat phones, Protonmail and dark web orders. Evidence suggests that the value of sales exceeded £1m.
[Stafford CC]:
Our client was charged with a large-scale conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. The charges follow investigation by a Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) into the activities of a Midlands-based network alleged to be involved in sourcing large quantities of drugs from other OCGs using the EncroChat network. Evidence relied on by the prosecution includes telecommunications data recovered following the interception of the network. The prosecution says this demonstrates over £3m in cash exchanges and the supply of over 81 kilograms of cocaine.
[Manchester CC]:
H was charged with conspiracy to supply several hundred kilograms of Class A drugs. The charges followed an investigation by a Regional Serious Organised Crime Unit (RSOCU) and featured the alleged supply of cocaine, heroin, MDMA, amphetamine, cannabis and ketamine throughout the UK. The investigatory techniques used included the analysis and comparison of surveillance evidence, cell site evidence and drug seizures obtained from the interception of multiple encrypted telecom devices. An EncroChat Preparatory Hearing took place following intricate legal arguments. As a result of meticulous mitigation, H received a significantly reduced sentence.
[Lewes CC]:
Our client was charged with (conspiracy) to supply Class A drugs in Sussex. The charges followed an investigation by a RSOCU into the large-scale supply of cocaine and heroin. The evidence includes data obtained by the interception of an encrypted device. This was a big operation which ran for several years.
[Cardiff CC]:
We represent two clients in connection with charges relating to the large-scale supply of Class A drugs in the South Wales area. The investigation leading to the charges comes under the umbrella of ‘Operation Venetic’, a national operation targeting multiple OCGs following the infiltration of encrypted messaging networks. Prior to obtaining EncroChat phone data, the police intercepted a substantial exchange of money between OCGs.
[Cardiff CC]:
Our client was charged in connection with the activities of an OCG based in South Wales alleged to be responsible for the supply and distribution of Class A substances. These include 60 kilograms of heroin and 87 kilograms of cocaine worth a total of approximately £5m. The charges were brought following police interception of the EncroChat phone network. The evidence involves consideration of significant volumes of EncroChat data and other telecommunications data.
[Sheffield CC]:
This was a fully contested hearing in relation to the large-scale supply of Class A drugs. Most of the evidence centred on the EncroChat data harvested by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as a result of intercept. All other defendants either pleaded guilty or were found guilty. Our client had a hung jury.
[Wolverhampton CC]:
This was an EncroChat case where our client was the head of an OCG and had supplied over 20 kilograms of cocaine. Our client had previous convictions relating to the supply of drugs. Having considered the chat logs disclosed by the prosecution, we advised him that, to obtain maximum ‘credit’ under the sentencing guidelines, he should indicate a guilty plea in the Magistrates’ Court and plead guilty in the Crown Court. The client took our advice and received a sentence after credit of 12 years 7 months where the starting point for the offence would otherwise have been 21 years.