Lancashire man jailed for drugs and money laundering offences
Sufiyan Mohammed was caught as part of Operation Venetic
A Lancashire man is the latest to be sentenced as part of the NWROCUs response to Operation Venetic: an international operation investigation into the use of a mobile encryption service, commonly referred to as Encrochat.
Sufiyan Mohammed, aged 41 of Percy Street, Nelson, Lancashire was sentenced to four and a half years at Preston Crown Court today (Wednesday 15th June) after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and money laundering.
He will be joining his associate, Pirasad Hashmi from Blackburn who was sentenced to seven and a half years back in April this year after pleading guilty to the same offences.
Examination of the data from the encrypted phones that Mohamed, who was the user of the device/handle ‘GOLFRANGE' and Hashmi, who used the handle ‘BROWNRHINO’ revealed that they had been responsible for moving multiple kilogram quantities of Class A drugs around the UK.
In messages shared between the two he shared images of drugs and cash. One message said "I’m buying these 1z proper". Other conversations included messages referring to numbers and amounts where 'BROWNRHINO' (aka Hashmi) says to 'GOLFRANGE' (aka Mohammed) "Shall we go through the bill".
Mohammed was arrested back in October 2021 as he returned to the country on a flight from Malaga.
Detective Inspector Mike Robinson from the NWROCU investigations team said:
"This sentence is the latest in a long line of convictions secured against those who used the Encrochat facility to carry out crimes, to try and evade detection.
"Mohammed was involved in a conspiracy to supply cocaine across the UK and we're happy that with him and his associate off the streets, it has helped to disrupt a significant supply of drugs which they were supplying across the country.
“Here at the NWROCU we’re committed to targeting the supply of drugs and will leave no stone unturned in pursuit of those people who think they are above the law."