Two men, including a former serviceman and a Bacup resident, have been sentenced for their involvement in a sophisticated drug trafficking operation exposed through hacked Encrochat messages.
A serviceman and a man from Bacup have been jailed for their roles in an organised crime group. Oliver Harrison started working as a drug runner after leaving the military and falling into financial problems. He moved kilos of cocaine and heroin around the country, even agreeing to transfer a gun between members of an organised crime group.
The 34-year-old is one of two men who have been jailed for their crimes, after criminals' chats on encrypted Encrochat phones during lockdown were discovered by law enforcement who hacked the network. The other man was Peter Downs from Bacup, who was also sentenced. 47-year-old Downs was far up in the chain of organisation and was involved in wholesale purchase and distribution of both cocaine and cannabis. At the time the police penetrated the network, the conspiracy was 'well-established' and 'ongoing' in the second quarter of 2020, Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court was told. The Manchester Evening News reports the two men used monikers to hide their identities. Downs was known as 'Garden Snail' and Harrison as 'Optimal Tail'. At the head of the organisation was 'Invisible Knight' and discussions were had on the 'purchase and logistical movement of drugs', said Adam Lodge, prosecuting. Mr Lodge said Downs was 'actively concerned in the supply of multiple kilos of cocaine and cannabis, 'with the help of ‘Invisible Knight'. He was also personally 'actively concerned' in the 'completed' purchase and supply of six kilos of the drug between March and June 2020 and was involved in discussions regarding four further kilos. Harrison was employed by ‘Invisible Knight’ to move collections and deliveries. As part of this, a gun had bene supplied by Invisible Knight to another person, the court was told. In total, the entire conspiracy is said to have involved the 'acquisition and supply' of around 30 kilos of cocain
DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANISED CRIME ENCROCHAT ENFORCEMENT SENTENCE
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