Crawley dealers who used encrypted chats to sell drugs jailed
The pair were arrested as part of what's described as the UK's biggest ever law enforcement operation
Two Crawley drug dealers who used encrypted chats to sell cocaine and cannabis have been jailed for more than 20 years combined.
Isshaq Khan and his nephew Jan Lee were both arrested as part of Operation Venetic, described as the UK's biggest ever law enforcement operation.
The pair were among those linked with the now-dismantled EncroChat service provider, which enabled criminals to communicate securely with one another.
The National Crime Agency said the service had 60,000 users worldwide and around 10,000 users in the UK.
Its sole use was for coordinating and planning the distribution of illicit commodities, money laundering and plotting to kill rival criminals.
But with the assistance of European law agencies, users’ data was hacked and shared with police forces across the UK.
Khan, who is 30 and of Grace Road and 33-year-old Lee of Percivale Close, were both found to have used EncroChat to discuss their criminal activities.
Detective Inspector Jason Vickers, of the Sussex Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit, explained:
"It was clear from just a snapshot of their messages, captured between March and June 2020, that Lee and Khan were running a well-established enterprise, handling hundreds of thousands of pounds and dealing with multi-kilos of cocaine and cannabis.
"This has been a large and complex investigation which resulted in both defendants charged with being concerned in supplying a controlled Class A drug (cocaine), being concerned in supplying a controlled Class B drug (cannabis) and acquiring criminal property (money laundering).”
Both were sentenced to 10 years and six months' imprisonment at Lewes Crown Court last Friday (February 14th) after entering guilty pleas.
Due to the overwhelming evidence against them, both defendants entered guilty pleas and were sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on 14 February to 10 years and six months’ imprisonment each.
Det Insp Vickers added:
"The length of sentence handed to both defendants shows how this type of criminality will not be tolerated in Sussex, or anywhere else for that matter.”
So far, 746 suspects have been arrested as part of Operation Venetic, with police forces seizing over £54 million in criminal cash, 77 firearms and more than two tonnes of class A and B drugs.