Dozens of criminals embedded in Merseyside's underworld have been jailed after an international operation brought down EncroChat. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said that Peter Moogan, 39, of Salerno Drive in Huyton and Michael Moogan, 33, of Boundary Road in Huyton were leading figures in a large-scale drugs conspiracy.. 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. To get a behind the scenes look at how they work and the moments that don't make our stories, subscribe to our free weekly Echo Court Files newsletter, written by court reporter Neil Docking. He also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cocaine and cannabis. He used the Encrochat handles Scantbee and Sandferret. I await developments in England, and particularly the first Scottish prosecution based on EncroChat, with interest. You can also sign up to our court newsletter here and get a twice weekly roundup of court cases sent your email inbox for free. EncroChat case goes to Court of Appeal - Exchange Chambers Since the launch of the operation, over one thousand people have been charged with crimes due to their link to the EncroChat network. He was jailed for six years and eight months. He was working under the direction of poundcake. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer 'LovelyGiant' used 'key worker' to ferry cocaine in lockdown. Talbot and Ward also admitted conspiring to supply Class B drugs. Wesley Kavanagh, 36 and of Stockport Road, Thelwall, was sentenced to 12 years for drugs offences. Craig O'Hare - also MagicCider. The then 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. French Supreme Court rejects EncroChat verdict after lawyers question Steven Nicholls, 41, of Ibbotson Lane, Aigburth, was sentenced to 16 years and eight months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit arsons with intent, conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply heroin, and transferring criminal property. Many have pleaded, whilst others have challenged the legal admissibility of such evidence. But then 40-year-old Woolton roofer Daniels worked as a drug and cash courier for him, under the handle "ExoticApe", in 2020. Dean Anderson, who used the handles tendayer and famoussquid, was described as being "top of the tree" of an organised crime gang supplying drugs across the country. READ MORE: EncroChat cocaine boss with international links asked dealers to call him 'Jethawk'. 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. Reid, of Ackers Road, Woodchurch, pleaded guilty to three conspiracies involving the supply of cocaine, heroin and cannabis between March 23 and June 5, 2020. READ MORE: 'Money man' stashed 800k of dirty cash for EncroChat gang, 63. McMahon, who used the EncroChat handle 'Limemace', was caught following analysis of his encrypted Encrochat phone, which showed he had been in possession of up to 250,000 or more at a time. Adam Lonergan, 30 at the time, of Rydal Avenue in Prescot, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months for conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis between March 29 and June 5 and possession with intent to supply amphetamine. 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. Harding then used a new handle called "LesserHedge", to continue carrying out his criminal activity. The 34-year-old kept his two EncroChat phones until March the following year, when police raided his house and exposed his multi-kilo cocaine business. In order for one user of EncroChat to speak to another it is necessary for them to know the unique user identification, or handle, of that person. It covered every one of these phones whichever . An EncroChat cocaine boss joked in texts about the hack that would later see him locked up. He was arrested when he flew into Manchester Airport from Amsterdam after police recovered more than 100 pages of chat logs from his encrypted phone. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply each of the drugs and was jailed for 16 years. 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. Keiren McMahon, then 24, of Titchfield Street, Vauxhall, was described as a "cashier, banker and paymaster" for his role in the gang, which saw him count huge wads of in cash in relation to the supply of heroin, cocaine and cannabis. The 49-year-old was stopped after officers became suspicious of his taxi credentials when they spotted his vehicle on the M62 in June. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer nicknamed 'coastalsummer' tried to flee naked through window in raid, 30-31 David Pinnington - LoftyHail and David Blackburn - SuperBiking. READ MORE: Dad who became Encrochat's 'go-to man' for drugs and guns, 49. An overview of the cases linked to the major investigation into the use of communications network EncroChat by the region's underworld, Get the latest crime reports and stories from Liverpool Echo straight to your inbox. 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. The identity of the crook who has adopted the name of the Reds' Brazilian shot stopper on the secret phone network remains a mystery. 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. Harrison Laite used an Encrochat phone to supply multiple kilos of cannabis on the streets on Merseyside. He was jailed for eight and a half years. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. He was caught when police recovered text messages from the EncroChat network. An EncroChat dealer who arranged to import cocaine from Spain moaned that South American drug cartels were "becoming greedy", a court heard. "Money man" Allan, who used the EncroChat handle "MessyZebra", was previously jailed for two years for dealing cannabis in 2005. 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. Investigators had been monitoring Keating, of Lunts Heath Road, Widnes, Garforth, of no fixed address, and Dillon, of Norlands Park, Widnes, for three months via the hacked EncroChat network. He was caught when police recovered text messages from the EncroChat network. Critics say the decision means phone tapping no longer has a 'clear meaning in the digital age' 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. 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. Michael Devine - LawfulArbor and MixedTree. The contrary argument of course was that the court was not dealing with intercept material at all it was not intercepted in the classic sense, simply recovered from storage. 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. Officers searched his home in St Ambrose Close, Anfield and found an EncroChat phone box, containing the password to the device, written on a piece of paper. A drug dealer who used two EncroChat handles was brought to justice. READ MORE: 'Bro we be multimillionaires in three months haha' boasted dealer. January 7, 2021. 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. Keiren McMahon, 24, of Titchfield Street, Kirkdale, Bryan Stephen Heffey, 46, of Woodend Avenue, Maghull. Adam Lonergan, 30, of Rydal Avenue in Prescot, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months for conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis between March 29 and June 5 and possession with intent to supply amphetamine. He was jailed for six years and eight months. Operation Venetic was a British national response initiated by the National Crime Agency (NCA). He was jailed for four years. Michael Devine had shared details of his membership on the EncroChat encrypted messaging platform. Join more than 56,000 other people who are members of our Liverpool court cases and crime stories Facebook group and you'll get access to all the latest stories from court reporter Neil Docking. Their EncroChat names were NovaCoast and OctoOx. North West Regional Organised Crime Unit (NWROCU) detectives launched an undercover surveillance operation in February 2020. EncroChat case goes to Court of Appeal. Brian Heffey - Activegamer and Lemonisland. READ MORE: EncroChat drug boss boasted he made 20K before 8pm. He used the MagicCider handle between April to May 2020, before it was passed over to another dealer, his drug courier Craig O'Hare. 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. Jack Stanley Jones, 27 at the time, 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. Messages on EncroChat were said to link both men to the supply of multi-kilo amounts of the two Class A drugs and smaller amounts of Class B cannabis. Jordan Talbot was exposed as EncroChat boss "LittleNev" - a leader of a plot involving "at least" 500kg of Class A drugs. The pair were jailed for their roles in the plot this morning - but Liverpool Crown Court heard they were taking orders from a remote boss in Spain. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer busted after being caught with 176kg caffeine haul. Kevin Daniels handled 1.5m of dirty cash for a drug boss who used the name of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker on EncroChat. Luxton, of Birch Avenue, Upton, was jailed for 16 years. Police raided his home in Marley Close, Rainhill on June 16 last year and found rooms matched photos sent by Moore on EncroChat. Cocaine dealer William Skillen was linked to a sinister drug gang who threatened to "chop off ears" and batter an OAP in a 500,000 robbery plot. Detectives identified the handprints of the then 30-year-old, of Maud Street, Toxteth, on a photo he took showing him holding cannabis in his hand. Ward was involved in transporting about 48kg of Class A drugs, from March 31, 2020 for about two and a half months. He used the MagicCider handle between April to May 2020, before it was passed over to another dealer, his drug courier Craig O'Hare. Lenehan, of Scarisbrick Road in Walton, but who lived in Dubai until recently, admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and making a false statement to gain a passport. Carl Stewart of Gem Street, Liverpool was sentenced to 13 years and 6 months at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempting to . READ MORE: Dad moved 4.5m of cocaine and heroin for international drug lord. Shaun Done, 25 at the time, of Beech Road, Huyton was sentenced to seven years, nine months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply cannabis and conspiracy to acquire/use/possess criminal property. Talbot, Carlton and Ward all admitted conspiring to supply Class A drugs and possessing criminal property. The extraordinary methods Europol and the National Crime - WalesOnline But 40-year-old Woolton roofer Daniels worked as a drug and cash courier for him, under the handle "ExoticApe", in 2020. EncroChat hack case: RAM, bam. 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. 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.". Isaac Rasmussen, 28 at the time, from Heath Road Widnes, previously from the Huyton area was sentenced to 10 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiring to fraudulently evade prohibition on the import of Class A drugs and conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the import of Class B drugs. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer 'boredgiraffe' made 'vast profits' trafficking multi-kilos of drugs. The sisters, who were both mums, were arrested when police found a massive drugs hide in their Mazda, while the hacking of the Encrochat network revealed the full extent of their criminality. His EncroChat names were ChopperReid and ButterflyJuice. The four men were snared as part of Operation Achilles, run by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), into a network of dealers in the south of Manchester. David Pinnington, 39, was arrested at his home in Rushey Hey Road, Kirkby after being identified as the user of the "LoftyHail" handle on the secret phone network. Bradley Luxton - SoupHedge and MerrySword. David Pinnington, 39 at the time, was arrested at his home in Rushey Hey Road, Kirkby after being identified as the user of the "LoftyHail" handle on the secret phone network. Laite admitted conspiracy to supply cannabis. 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 to January 2019. The then 29-year-old planned to move abroad as soon as his licence period for a past sentence for trafficking cocaine expired. John James Reilly, of Broadoak Road, Wythenshawe was jailed for 12 years, also for conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs, as well as money laundering. The judge then embarked upon a technical description of the way in messages were sent, received and stored. The drugs boss talked about importation runs from Colombia, St Lucia and Brazil, and also discussed his love of poker. He was jailed for 15 years and nine months. His EncroChat names were Speciallivy and Customcab. Peter Heron, 48, of Grosvenor Road in Wavertree. Anthony Lenehan, 57 and of Scarisbrick Road in Walton, was jailed for drugs and passport offences. 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. That implant caused the device to transmit to the French police all the data held on it. and at least one case involves an ex-military operative selling devices . Brian Marshall, 46, of Robson Street, Everton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A Drugs cocaine, and was sentenced to 10 years. The then 43-year-old used the clandestine phone network to trade at least 12 kilos of cocaine and five kilos of heroin in just 10 weeks. Liam Garvey, 28, of The Boulevard, Thatto Heath, Kevin Allan was the 'money man' for a 1 million EncroChat cocaine conspiracy, Kevin Allan helped cocaine bosses keep track of their thousands of pounds by acting as a gangland banker, David Holgate, 49 and from Anfield, went by the EncroChat handle LoftyWizard and was sentenced to six years and eight months for drugs offences. Police said many of the network's customers used the service to plot illicit schemes linked to drug dealing and, in some cases, violence. Following a police hack of the EncroChat network, officers were able to link the 45-year-old to the phone, on which he discussed smuggling hundreds of kilograms of cocaine on boats. READ MORE: Secret gang messages of SnowEmu, SacredMask and MancJoey that brought them down. Daniels, who was arrested in November, admitted conspiracies to supply cocaine and convert criminal property. Roberts, of Circular Drive, Greasby, Wirral was sentenced to 10 years and six months. British prosecutors can make use of evidence gathered by the French and Dutch police from encrypted messaging service EncroChat's servers thanks to a legal interpretation of whether RAM counts as data storage, the Court of Appeal has ruled. Philip Dearden, 31 at the time, of Kent Road, St Helens, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin and cannabis. Two brothers jailed in EncroChat drugs conspiracy But it was EncroChat messages, recovered in April 2020, which gave officers the additional evidence to blow the lid on the network. Both men admitted conspiring to supply Class A and Class B drugs. The dad-of-three was exposed as a "wholesale" drug dealer behind the secret handles "TrustPilot" and "PrawnPilot". But when the secret messaging service was cracked by police last year, EncroChat users and their illicit dealings were uncovered. This would involve deciding whether, at the point when they were intercepted, the. The judge summarized the nature of the EncroChat system in this way: EncroChat is a system of encrypted communication. READ MORE: EncroChat dealer 'Specialivy and Customcab' jailed for 12 years. Michael Devine had shared details of his membership on the EncroChat encrypted messaging platform. The six-man crime group from Warrington, Manchester and Hertfordshire were all involved in supplying drugs worth almost a quarter of a million pounds. A judge said it was an "extremely grave offence" as he jailed Talbot for 21 years and nine months. Alan Tobin - CapeRocket and John Tobin - SlightDrake. Dean Anderson, 46, of Tudorville Road, Bebington, Ryan Pugh was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply multi-kilo quantities of cocaine and cannabis, Kurtis Bolton, 26, of Hoblyn Road, Bidston, jailed at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting conspiracy to supply cocaine, Top: Mark Evans, left, and Keith Kemp. 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. Loftus was jailed 22 years. Ahead of his big trip Talbot went on a two-week spending spree, buying himself more than 40,000 of Rolex watches. Anderson, of Tudorville Road in Higher Bebington, Wirral, used the EncroChat network to run his large-scale business, and sold large quantities of drugs to Scotland and various other towns and cities across the UK. The identity of the crook who has adopted the name of the Reds' Brazilian shot stopper on the secret phone network remains a mystery. 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. 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 . But authorities gained access to the network in 2020, with Operation Venetic subsequently revealing that the daughter had been using the handle StiffNinja. The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), working with regional organised crime units and regional police forces, has made more than 1,550 arrests in the UK based on EncroChat evidence. 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 . Dean Deary, 39 at the time, of Pinehurst Avenue, Anfield, was sentenced to 12 years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, heroin, ketamine and cannabis. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Simon Roberts became a "trusted" member of a large-scale drugs gang after his window cleaning business dried up. what? 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. A Lego Duplo box and other toy boxes full of cocaine imported by Jack Jones, Isaac Rasmussen and Paul Jones (Image: Liverpool Echo) Liverpool Crown Court heard the first EncroChat texts recovered . Lenehan had connections to Dubai and exchanged messages suggesting his influence may have stretched to India and Iran. The 29-year-old planned to move abroad as soon as his licence period for a past sentence for trafficking cocaine expired. Nine men have been sentenced for . Christopher Perryman, 39, of Gloucester Road, Huyton, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. The then 48-year-old, of Grosvenor Road in Wavertree, used the handle "TameWelder" on the secret phone network. But when EncroChat was hacked last year, his use of his own children's initials as passwords helped lead detectives to his door. Whilst this ruling does not mean that guilty pleas are inevitable, for some defendants it will . Bradley Luxton laughed with a fellow drug dealer that they would need 'loads of Skys' - an alternative platform to EncroChat. James Duckworth, 42 at the time, of Langdale Close, Kirkby, was sentenced to 16-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. The 34-year-old, of Hulme Close, Bromborough, used the Encrochat handle 'boredgiraffe' to supply the drugs across Merseyside. Townsend was convicted of conspiracy to supply cannabis and acquire/use/possess criminal property. READ MORE: Window cleaner became 'MajorFox' in EncroChat ring after business dried up, 50 - 51. Simon Roberts, 57, of Circular Drive, Greasby, was sentenced to 10 years and six months after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and heroin. The then 40-year-old, of Watergate Way, Woolton, acted as a gangland accountant and oversaw the counting or "flicking" of ill-gotten gains. The CPS has been pushing people charged under Operation Venetic to enter early guilty pleas to avoid large numbers of lengthy trials. 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. 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. He was arrested in April at Stansted Airport as he returned from Spain, where he had stayed for a few weeks. Mark Evans, of Brows Avenue, Wythenshawe, was jailed for 10 years and six months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs, money laundering and handling stolen goods. On the same day, David Blackburn, 29, was arrested at his home in Springvale Close, Kirkby after detectives linked him to a handle titled "SuperBiking". Secrecy around EncroChat cryptophone hack breaches French constitution Italy Public Records Unlucky dealer set up EncroChat phone after network hacked Christopher Perryman, 39 at the time, of Gloucester Road, Huyton, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. The then 38-year-old, from Bury, used the EncroChat encrypted phone network to bring 'at the very least' 84.5 kilos of cocaine and 59 kilos of heroin. ENCROCHAT HACK: Major trial due after 11 defendants deny 56 charges at