Latest news with #Encrochat
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Daily Record
Trio of drug dealers busted on motorway after cops open secret compartment
The gang shipped huge quantities or heroin and cocaine across the country using names such as 'TupacDon' and 'Simonsays', before their operation came crashing down. A trio of big-time drug dealers are the latest crooks to be busted after police hacked the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat. The gang shipped huge quantities or heroin and cocaine across the country using names such as 'TupacDon' and 'Simonsays', before their operation came crashing down - when cops stopped found a secret compartment of a car on a the M61. As the Manchester Evening News reports, Mohammed Omayr, 41, from Chorlton; Abdul Bahadir, from Oldham, 41; and Husnain Ali, 36, from Bolton, have all been handed lengthy jail sentences after a probe uncovered 'dirty' cash, designer clothes and watches. Omayr headed up the sale, distribution, returns, testing, storage, and payments for a huge haul of class A drugs, according to Greater Manchester Police. He directed his courier, Bahadir, to shift massive amounts of cash and to deliver drugs to customers across the country on a daily basis, with stashes of cocaine and heroin hidden in a compartment of his car. Bahadir, who also ran Omayr's 'stash houses', had originally acted as the gang's accountant, but later became a courier as their business became more and more successful, using the EncroChat handles 'TupacDon' and 'Simonsays'. Ali took over Bahadir's role of the gang's accountant, which saw him counting and packaging the money for onward delivery and storage. The trio used the now defunct encrypted messaging platform, Encrochat, which allowed crooks to communicate safely away from eyes of law enforcement agencies. That ended when investigators hacked into EncroChat's server in Roubaix, northern France, in April 2020, sending bogus updates to devices across the globe which effectively mined the incriminating data criminals wanted so much to conceal. Detectives brought the trio to justice after trawling through thousands of messages they exchanged as part of their operation, with Ali also using same handles on occasions. Officers swooped on the evening of Tuesday, July 28, in 2020, stopping a car on the southbound carriageway of M61. Bahadir was at the wheel while Ali was a front seat passenger. Police searched the car, uncovering the secret compartment which was packed full of cocaine, mixing agents, and digital scales. They were both arrested. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Later that evening, police raided a series of properties in Oldham and Chorlton. At Bahadir's address in Oldham, police recovered over £157,000 in cash hidden around the property, a vacuum packing machine, digital scales, and 'vast amounts' of luxury designer clothing. At Omayr's home in Chorlton, police found almost £25,000 in cash, designer clothing and a watch. On his driveway, he had a black Lamborghini Urus, estimated to be worth more than £200,000 and more cash. The men were finally brought to justice when they were jailed at Manchester Crown Court on Monday (June 16). Omayr, of Wilbraham Road, Chorlton, was jailed for 16 years and four months after a jury had earlier convicted him of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. Bahadir, of Allama Iqbal Road, Oldham, was jailed 11 years and six months. Ali, of Spinning Mews in Bolton was sentenced to eight years and 11 months. The pair had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. After the hearing, Det Con Bryan Deighton, of Bury police, said: "These men went to great lengths to conceal their illicit enterprise, they used encrypted mobile phones and built a hidden compartment in the cars they used to transfer the commodity in, all in an attempt to operate in secret. "These men were driven by greed and spent their obscene proceeds of crime on designer clothes and flashy cars, unbothered that this wealth was gained at the expense of vulnerable drug users. "I hope today's sentence is a stark reminder to criminals across Greater Manchester, regardless of time passed, we continue to investigate those who used encrypted phones, and we will continue with our relentless pursuit until you are brought to justice."
Scottish Sun
6 days ago
- Scottish Sun
World champion boxing trainer and Amir Khan's former opponent found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine
The trainer denied involvement and put the blame on someone else CRIME & PUNISHMENT World champion boxing trainer and Amir Khan's former opponent found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WORLD CHAMPION boxing trainer Andrew Bulcroft suggested one of his fighters was an alleged drug dealer - before he was found guilty of intent to supply. The 48-year-old - better known in boxing as Stefy Bull - has been remanded in custody since 28 February. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Andrew Bulcroft has been found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine Credit: Getty 2 He fought and lost to Amir Khan in April 2007 Credit: Getty The Doncaster man was convicted by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court and will be sentenced at the same court on 26 August. The court heard Bulcroft - whose most celebrated fighter is three-weight world champ Terri Harper - used the Encrochat encrypted phone network to buy "significant amounts" of cocaine under the pseudonym "Yummycub". Bulcroft denied he was Yummycub but claimed boxers he trained would sometimes stay at his house and one of them was Yummycub. Bulcroft did not name anyone he suspected it might have been and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing from any of the fighters associated with Bull. In the ring, Bulcroft was a British lightweight champion in 2006 but he went on to lose against Amir Khan and Curtis Woodhouse, before retiring in 2010. In the corner, Bulcroft earned respect for the work he did with twins Jamie and Gavin McDonnell and Jason Cunningham. The sentencing range for conspiracy to supply a Class A drug ranges from a high-level community order to 16 years imprisonment. A spokesperson for the British Boxing Board of Control Central Area Council said Bulcroft's licenses as a trainer, manager and promoter would be reviewed following his sentencing. Anthony Joshua given hero's welcome on boxing trip to Ghana as Brit shows off his motorbike skills Bulcroft became a trainer, manager and promoter after hanging up his gloves in 2010. His stable included British, European and world champions, including three-weight world champion Harper.
The Irish Sun
6 days ago
- The Irish Sun
World champion boxing trainer and Amir Khan's former opponent found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine
WORLD CHAMPION boxing trainer Andrew Bulcroft suggested one of his fighters was an alleged drug dealer - before he was found guilty of intent to supply. The 48-year-old - better known in boxing as Stefy Bull - has been remanded in custody since 28 February. 2 Andrew Bulcroft has been found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine Credit: Getty 2 He fought and lost to Amir Khan in April 2007 Credit: Getty The Doncaster man was convicted by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court and will be sentenced at the same court on 26 August. The court heard Bulcroft - whose most celebrated fighter is three-weight world champ Terri Harper - used the Encrochat encrypted phone network to buy "significant amounts" of cocaine under the pseudonym "Yummycub". Bulcroft denied he was Yummycub but claimed boxers he trained would sometimes stay at his house and one of them was Yummycub. Bulcroft did not name anyone he suspected it might have been and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing from any of the fighters associated with Bull. READ MORE IN BOXING In the ring, Bulcroft was a British lightweight champion in 2006 but he went on to lose against Amir Khan and Curtis Woodhouse, before retiring in 2010. In the corner, Bulcroft earned respect for the work he did with twins Jamie and Gavin McDonnell and Jason Cunningham. The sentencing range for conspiracy to supply a Class A drug ranges from a high-level community order to 16 years imprisonment. A spokesperson for the British Boxing Board of Control Central Area Council said Bulcroft's licenses as a trainer, manager and promoter would be reviewed following his sentencing. Most read in Boxing Anthony Joshua given hero's welcome on boxing trip to Ghana as Brit shows off his motorbike skills Bulcroft became a trainer, manager and promoter after hanging up his gloves in 2010. His stable included British, European and world champions, including three-weight world champion Harper.
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Daily Record
'El Chapo' brother of ex-Liverpool player disputes sentence for £26m drug empire
Jonathan Cassidy imported hundreds of kilos of cocaine into the UK in modified vehicles before it was distributed by his younger brother Jamie. An ex-builder who ran a £26m drug empire with his former Liverpool FC wonderkid brother has failed in his bid to challenge his EncroChat sentence. Jonathan Cassidy imported hundreds of kilos of cocaine from South America in an international drugs racket with his younger brother Jamie and business partner Nasar Ahmed, reports the Liverpool Echo. Cassidy, 50, boasted on Encrochat messages that his criminal enterprise was reminiscent of Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán under the name "WhiskyWasp. However, following the hack of the EncroChat network by European law enforcement, Cassidy fled to Dubai. He was arrested upon his return to the UK in October 2020. Following over three years of legal challenges where the brothers and Ahmed fought the admissibility of the EncroChat data, the defendants pleaded guilty in February 2024. Cassidy was sentenced to 21 years, nine months for conspiracy to import cocaine; conspiracy to supply cocaine; and conspiracy to conceal, transfer and disguise criminal proceeds. Cassidy appeared before London's Court of Appeal on May 20 this year in a renewed application for leave to appeal against his sentence. His challenge, brought before the high court by counsel Michael Bromley-Martin KC, said too low a discount was applied as credit for his guilty plea and the sentencing judge failed to consider exceptional mitigating factors. But dismissing his case, the Court of Appeal bench of Lord Justice Fraser, Mr Justice Hilliard and Mr Justice Constable said they were "not persuaded that the resulting sentences are manifestly excessive or reached after an error in principle". 'Instrumental in organising significant quantities of drugs' The high court heard that EncroChat data showed Cassidy's first importation occurred in early March 2020, when 194 kilograms of cocaine, which was in blocks embossed with snowmen, was imported into the country. The payments for the consignment were arranged by Ahmed, with the two men sharing the profits, which amounted to between £2,000 and £10,000 per kilo. The ECHO previously reported how the gang brought the drugs into the UK via Amsterdam hidden in vehicles with modified hides. Cassidy exchanged messages with a Dutch contact on April 2 of the same year to arrange 90 kilos of cocaine and Ahmed arranged a Hawala banker in Amsterdam to release payment. Arrangements continued until police arrested a courier and found €800,000 and nine-and-a-half kilos of cocaine. But despite the dent in operations Cassidy exchanged messages with an associate in the Netherlands about a contact who claimed to be able to source 1,200 kilos of the class A drug. Discussions were had about purchasing 10 kilos as a test run with it arriving a few days later between April 14-15. At the same time Cassidy directed his brother Jamie to oversee the distribution of 162 kilos of cocaine, with the younger man providing a list of who had been given what. By this time EncroChat had been hacked and law enforcement had access to messages. An associate of the three men called Leon Atkinson was supplied cocaine sourced from and supplied by Ahmed, with payments nearing £500,000 in Bitcoin to a wallet controlled by a contact. The Court of Appeal heard that although details varied, "both Cassidy and instrumental in organising significant quantities of drugs, arrangements payment, instructing couriers and so on". Panadol box led police to Cassidy Message analysis showed the men not only conducted business on their Encro phones, but they began to use them for everyday conversations, sharing photos of their families and special occasions. On one occasion, Cassidy referred to plain clothed police officers as "quick scruffy c**** with rucksacks", while in a different message he shared a picture of a box of Panadol. Both of these messages, paired with cell site and fingerprint analysis, helped create a detailed timeline of events for detectives. Another message showed how highly Cassidy thought of himself. When watching an episode of Narcos, he sent an image to a friend joking that he and drug lord El Chapo, who had an estimated net worth of $1bn, shared the same birthday. His friend responded: "Coincidence, I think f***ing not". The administrators of EncroChat warned users on June 13 2020 that government entities had gained access to the domain and security was no longer guaranteed. Ahmed searched online for travel updates to the UAE on July 13, but was arrested at his house in Bury two days later. Cassidy used his iPad to read an article on the ECHO about a fugitive who had been on the run for 16 years but was arrested from Portugal on his return. He left the country on a flight to Dubai that evening, but perhaps emboldened by the fact his brother had been able to return to the country without being stopped, he flew back in October, where he was arrested. Cassidy, his brother and Ahmed were all sentenced in February 2024. The judge drew attention to the scale of the operation, the amount of drugs imported, the size of the transactions and the highly organised nature of the operation. He sentenced Cassidy to 27 years, but then reduced the sentence due to conditions in prison due to covid, as well as an additional discount of 15% for the defendant's guilty plea. Cassidy's brother Jamie, a youth star at Liverpool who was top scorer for England u16s before injuries blighted his promising career, was sentenced to 13 years and three months, while Ahmed received a custodial sentence of 21 years and nine months. 'Not persuaded sentence was manifestly excessive' The Court of Appeal heard Cassidy's sentence was reduced by four months to take into account him serving a period of imprisonment during covid conditions while on remand. The judges found the sentencing judge's adjustment was sufficient and not outside the range that could properly be granted. Ahmed also appeared during the same hearing at the Court of Appeal to challenge his sentence on the same grounds as Cassidy, in particular that he was awarded an insufficient reduction for his guilty plea. The judges confirmed they dismissed Ahmed's appeal and refused a renewed application. In May 2022, four associates linked to the Cassidys and Ahmed were jailed for almost 40 years after a selfie of Atkinson led to their downfall. Liverpool man Joshua Avis is wanted by Greater Manchester Police in connection with their investigation. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Scottish Sun
26-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Scots Encrochat gangster who made more than £2million from drug trafficking only has £12,000 left
Montgomery and his accomplices were caught after police cracked an encrypted chat app DIRTY MONEY Scots Encrochat gangster who made more than £2million from drug trafficking only has £12,000 left Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GANGSTER serving time for a money spinning drugs racket made more than £2million from the scam. But despite the huge earnings from his narcotics network, Leslie Montgomery only has £12,830 which can be seized under Proceeds of Crime laws, a court heard today. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Montgomery was caught after police cracked an encrypted chat app called EncroChat Credit: Getty 2 The 64-year-old was part of an Ayrshire-based mob involved in trafficking drugs Credit: Police Scotland The High Court in Edinburgh had earlier heard the 64-year-old was part of an Ayrshire based mob which were involved in trafficking large scale consignments of cocaine and cannabis. Montgomery and his accomplices Alan Stewart, 44, and Matthew Cullimore, 37, were only caught after police cracked an encrypted chat app called EncroChat used by organised crime groups. Montgomery's conviction prompted prosecutors to launch a proceeds of crime action against him. Lord Stuart heard that defence and prosecution lawyers had agreed to settle the matter. They agreed that Montgomery had made £2,075,990 from drug dealing but he only had £12,830 available to be seized at this point in time. At previous proceedings, the court heard how the trio were caught after French and Dutch law authorities smashed EncroChat which the gang had been using to organise their illegal activities. Stewart used the handle 'ExcitedEmu', Montgomery 'NeatFerret' and Cullimore 'ButchPenguin' to communicate with each other and associates via thousands of encrypted messages. The texts revealed chat including about 'multi-kilogram' hauls of cocaine, £516,000 being owed for drugs and a £100,000 cash payment. Cullimore was clocked at one stage picking up almost £95,000 of dirty money at a local Burger King. Lord Clark told Stewart that he was going to prison for five years and four months. Montgomery received a four year and four month long term whilst Cullimore also received a four years and four month long sentence. Moment drug-smuggling pals DIVE into water during boat chase as they attempt to flee Border Force with cocaine in hull Montgomery claimed any of the dirty money linked to him instead came from an inheritance and gambling. He now has six months to hand over the sum of £12,830. Prosecutors can return to court if they identify further assets linked to his £2 million fortune.
