The eight arrests are thought to be the first arrests of people involved in the setting up and running of EncroChat. But when the secret messaging service was cracked by police last year, EncroChat users and their illicit dealings were uncovered. Michael Townsend,26, of Grant Road, Huyton was sentenced to six years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday, February 9. Mark Dumbell, 30, of Warrington Road, Prescot, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine, cannabis and ketamine. 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 another, they located pruning shears, scalpels and balaclavas. 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. 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. The operation followed the infiltration of a the EncroChat encrypted communications network used by organised criminals to . His Encrochat handle was AtomicMantis and he was the first to be convicted on Merseyside as part of Operation Venetic. In some of those cases the charges stemmed around the owners alleged participation in money laundering. The data from EncroChat has been a real boon to law enforcementorganized crime arrests in Germany soared by 17 percent following the police busts, and at least 2,800 people have been arrested . Holgate admitted conspiring to supply ketamine, possessing criminal property and possessing amphetamine with intent to supply. Paul Krusky played a crucial role in the development of encrypted phone firm EncroChat. Strachan was convicted of a conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs. READ MORE: 'Bro we be multimillionaires in three months haha' boasted dealer. Police have arrested more than 700 suspects, seized 54m in cash and tonnes of drugs in the UK's "biggest and most significant" operation ever against organised crime.. Officials said . Zoe Drewett Thursday 2 Jul 2020 12:36 pm. In March 2021 Motherboard published details from a cache of emails, Encrochat Lawyers Say Clients Haven't Had Fair Trials, The Network: How a Secretive Phone Company Helped the Crime World Go Dark, charged with conspiracy to murder and cocaine trafficking, have not received fair trials due to the intense secrecy. An EncroChat cocaine boss joked in texts about the hack that would later see him locked up. Officers found handcuffs attached to the floors and ceilings of the structures, which had also been soundproofed. READ MORE: Gang threatened to 'chop off ears' and hold iron to chest of pensioner, 39. Kevin Daniels handled 1.5m of dirty cash for a drug boss who used the name of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker on EncroChat. George Marsh - SneakyStem and WackySilver. In March 2021 Motherboard published details from a cache of emails that showed the shadowy corporate structure behind EncroChat. Detectives discovered Dillon and Keating had used EncroChat to discuss the transfer of a "viable firearm" - referring to a pistol and revolver - and conspired with Garforth over the supply of Class A and B drugs. When European authorities hacked EncroChat in 2020, after announcing the operation publicly, they asked the owners to come forward because they had been unable to identify them. He was arrested in the Dominican Republic last month after police monitoring his movements realised he had become aware he was under surveillance and decided to act, according to the report. The National Crime Agency (NCA) claims a total of 746 arrests and the seizure of two tonnes of drugs, 77 assorted firearms and 54m in cash - so far - as a result of the EncroChat intelligence. Dean Deary, 39, 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. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Image: Merseyside Police. The 28-year-old, of Shayfield Road in Manchester, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Sean Moore - TrustPilot and PrawnPilot. 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. Pinnington was jailed for nine years and four months. 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. Jordan Talbot - LittleNev, James Ward - StableToast, and Jamie Carlton - StaleSloth. A military-grade encrypted communication system called Encrochat, allegedly used by organised criminals trading in drugs and guns, was hacked by police and their partners. READ MORE: Block of Stilton cheese led to the downfall of EncroChat drug dealer. READ MORE: EncroChat dealers planned to flood Merseyside with Class A drugs. It will feature reports from Liverpool Crown Court and crime cases connected to Merseyside. He was jailed for 10 years and eight months. He was arrested in April at Stansted Airport as he returned from Spain, where he had stayed for a few weeks. 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. U.S. authorities charged him under RICO, a law traditionally reserved for crime bosses. 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. Dillon used the EncroChat codename "WaspLawn", while Keating used the handles "DullTuna" and "WealthyMace", and Garforth called himself "DiorIce". ", Liverpool salon owner providing 'safety net' for new beauticians, The female-run salon provides a 'safe space' for women, M&S shoppers praise 'lovely' 27.50 dress that's 'very flattering', One M&S shopper said: "Excellent dress and great fit. Amphetamine marked up with pictures of The Beano character Billy Whizz traded by an EncroChat drug gang based in St Helens, 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. French and Dutch detectives were able to secretly monitor communications between criminals for weeks on the EncroChat service before its . This was also to be served consecutively to the drugs tariff he was already in jail for. The force says it is "the most significant operation" it has ever launched against alleged serious and organised crime and forms part of the National Crime Agency's (NCA) Operation Venetic, which has seen more than 700 people arrested across Europe. The hacking of the network was compared to cracking the enigma code by Nikki Holland, then director of investigations at the NCA. The arrests are among 800 made across Europe after EncroChat messages were intercepted and decoded. Officers seized a gun, ammunition . Thousands of officers from the NCA, regional crime squads and every police force in the UK were involved in the international operation, which was launched in April. 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. Ahead of his big trip Talbot went on a two-week spending spree, buying himself more than 40,000 of Rolex watches. He was jailed for eight and a half years. The insight into his life allowed detectives to match the messages of EncroChat codenames "SneakyStem" and "WackySilver" to the 33-year-old. 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. These are the 113 people who have been charged by the Met Police: Abdelilah HILALI, aged 42, of no fixed abode, Abdsamei CHARKAOUI, 36, Princedale Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Ahmed Khan JABARKHIL, 27, Vimy Close, Hounslow, Aleksandrs KRASIJEVS, 56, Darenth Road, Welling, Bexley, Alexander GUEST, 39, Mansted Gardens, Romford, Anne-Marie BUTLER, 52, South Road, Feltham, Hounslow, Anthony DOMINY, 63, Little Heath Road, Bexleyheath, Bexley, Anthony SELLICK, 33, Clunas Gardens, Romford, Havering, Arlton LEWIS-TURNER, 30, South Quay Square, Tower Hamlets, Ashley WILTSHIRE, 41, Uplands Way, Enfield, Augustus BECKLEY, 30, Flat Iron Square, Southwark, Ben JONES, 44, Knowsley Road, Norwich, Norfolk, Calvin CRUMP, 24, Malmstone Avenue, Merstham, Redhill, Surrey, Casper WILSON ST-JAMES, 26, Agar Grove, Camden, Cavan HANNA, 50, Pinewood Place, Dartford, Kent, Charles HARRIS, 41, Milner Square, Islington, Charlie BAINBOROUGH, 30, Beck Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, Charlie MORAN, 28, The Avenue, Bickley, Bromley, Charly DAVIDSON, 25, The Quarterdeck, Tower Hamlets, Kris SIMMONS, 43, Hatfield Heath Road, Sawbridgeworth, Christopher MICHAELIDES, 51, Millwall Crescent, Chigwell, Essex, Craig ROUSE, 39, Brook Street, Aylesbury, Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire, Daniel DALLIGAN, 53, Station Road, Dartford, Crayford, Bexley, Daniel MCNEIL-DUNCAN, 35, The Galleries, Brentwood, Warley, Essex, Danny RICHINGS, 29, Harvey Gardens, Greenwich, Dominquo FOSTER, 23, Melrose Avenue, London, Fazil SHEIKH, 36, Northcote Avenue, Southall, Frank WELLS, 39, Margherita Place, Waltham Abbey, Essex, Frankie CLARK, 21, Musgrave Road, Greenwich, Gareth MORRIS, 54, Eastview Avenue, Greenwich, Gareth Roy MATHIAS, 47, Greenhaven Drive, Greenwich, Gavin KALLO, 43, Well Hall Road, Greenwich, George EVANS, 21, Selbourne Square, Godstone, Surrey, Hamid CHARKAOUI, 42, Bevington Road, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Harry EL ARABY, 33, Oaklands, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, Harry HINKS-SAMUELS, 27, Stanley Kubrick Road, Denham, Uxbridge, Buckinghamshire, Jack LEE, 31, Ludworth Road, Welling, Bexley, James DAVIDSON, 33, The Quarterdeck, Tower Hamlets, James OHARA, 48, Flaxen Road, Waltham Forest, James SKILLING, 32, Pelton Road, Greenwich, Jamie HANNA, 48, Martin Drive, Dartford, Stone, Kent, Jimmy GOTTSHALK, 32, Ringwood Road, Wolverhampton, Jody HALL, 46, Carters Hill Close, Mottingham, Bromley, John KEANE, 59, Fairfoot Road, Tower Hamlets, Jonathan WHITLEY, 53, Park Road, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, Joseph VIDLER, 29, Mayes Road, Tonbridge, Marden, Kent, Joshua ST-ANGE, 32, Church Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, Julian AGALLIU, 45, Musgrave Close, Barnet, Enfield, Kerry HUGHES, 53, Wydeville Manor Road, Grove Park, Lewisham, Landi SAKALA, 44, Yorkland Avenue, Welling, Bexley, Lee MORTIMER, 37, Glenhurst Avenue, Ruislip, Lee Paul WILLETTS, 27, Pembroke Road, Greenford, Ealing, Lee William ANDERSON, 61, South Road, Feltham, Hounslow, Leo GRAY, 28, Bridgewater Drive, Westcliff-on-sea, Southend-on-Sea, Liam BILES, 32, John Eliot Close, Nazeing, Waltham Abbey, Essex, Liam TULLET, 29, Bloomfield, Road, Greenwich, Lovepreet SINGH, 22, Upton Lea Parade, Wexham Road, Slough, Luchieo JOHN, 29, Admiralty Avenue, Silvertown, Newham, Marc SEYMOUR, 58, Craymill Square, Crayford, Bexley, Marcus ELMER, 48, Riverbank Point, High Street, Uxbridge, Hillingdon, Marlon WILLIAMS, 40, Rossiter Fields, Underhill, Barnet, Matthew EXALL, 24, Shirley House Drive, Greenwich, Milan HUSSAIN, 34, Melford Road, East Ham, Miles HEADLEY, 24, Mount Nod Road, Lambeth, Mohamed AHMED, 49, Clarence Gardens, Camden, Mohammed SABEK, 33, Clem Attlee Court, Hammersmith & Fulham, Muhamad USMAN, 33, Keveloic Road, Tottenham, Muhammad Arslan KHALID, 46, Woodlands Road, Southall, Ealing, Nacoli BRAVO, 34, Patterdale Road, Dartford, Kent, Nagib OMAR, 30, York Parade, Brentford, Hounslow, Paul JONES, 40, Epsom Grove, Tower Hill, Liverpool, Paul O'BRIEN, 53, Manor Way, Southall, Ealing, Peter THOMPSON, 56, Lidiard Road, Wandsworth, Philemon GHEZZEHEY, 25, Scotts Road, Hammersmith & Fulham, Rayco PEREZ, 30, The Chase, Oxshott, Leatherhead, Surrey, Rebecca MCDONALD, 47, Danescombe, Lewisham, London, Robert WIGGINS, 42, Westbourne Grove, Kensington & Chelsea, Rozanna GRAY, 27, Bridgewater Drive, Westcliff-on-sea, Southend-on-Sea, Ruslan SHAMSUTDINOV, 35, Glenister Road, Greenwich, Sean SKINNER, 41, Nightingale Vale, Greenwich, Stacey THOMPSON, 41, Lidiard Road Wandsworth London, Stephen Chimunya SAKALA, 34, Gatesborough Street, Hackney, Stephen WILLIS, 34, Chevington Way, Hornchurch, Havering, Tariq HUSSAIN, 28, Seymour Road, Mitcham, Sutton, Terrence OCONNOR, 24, Webb Street, Bolton, Horwich, Tjay BURRELL, 30, Glendale, Swanley, Kent, Tyler TANNER, 23, Henderson Drive, Dartford, Kent, Udham SINGH, 20, Upton Lea Parade, Wexham Road, Slough, Vickrahdeep SAHOTA, 28, Eastcourt Avenue, Reading, Vincent OJO, 30, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex, Yassin SIYAHLA, 27, Holland Close, Redhill, Surrey, Yousefe ELBRIRI, 26, Oxford Gardens, Kensington & Chelsea, Armed police raid houses during Operation Venetic.