Evidence on EncroChat gang ‘so overwhelming’ their only choice …

Four EncroChat dealers have been jailed for a total of 48 years after flooding Merseyside with drugs.

Carl Lythgoe, Guy Clifton, Lynton Skeete, and, Paul Brown have all been jailed today at Liverpool Crown Court[1]. The men were part of an organised crime group that sold multi-kilos of class-A drugs across the city and the UK.

They were arrested as part of Operation Venetic- an international operation targeting criminals who use mobile encryption devices to try and evade detection.

Lythgoe, 42, from Gladstone Avenue, Roby[4] was sentenced to seven years and four months imprisonment. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Lythgoe used the Encrochat handle 'Louseywhale' which he used to supply cocaine to Paul Brown.

Clifton, 34, of Malvern Crescent, Roby was sentenced to 16 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and being concerned about the supply of class B drugs.

Four members of an organised crime group have been jailed for more than 48 years as part of Operation Venetic Four members of an organised crime group have been jailed for more than 48 years as part of Operation Venetic

Clifton used the Encro handle 'Dashingpie' to supply more than 60kg of cocaine and 20kg of heroin to drug dealers up in Scotland. He was also involved in the cultivation of 145 cannabis plants.

The court heard that Clifton owed £450,000 to Brown and Lythgoe after one of his dealers failed to pay.

Skeete, 48, of Egremont, Wirral[5] was sentenced to 11 years and five months in prison. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and conspiracy to fraudulently evade the prohibition on the importation of controlled drug of class B Cannabis.

Skeete used the Encro handle 'Marshcat' to supply multi kilos of cocaine and to import cannabis from Spain, where he was living at the time, into the UK. Brown, 45, of Kellitt Road, Liverpool, was jailed for 14 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A drugs and possession of a controlled drug (class B) with intent to supply.

Brown used the Encro handle 'Harshcamel' to supply more than 20kg of cocaine and 15kg of heroin between March 25 and June 14, 2020. When arrested he had more than 18kg of amphetamine on him.

Four members of an organised crime group have been jailed for more than 48 years as part of Operation Venetic Four members of an organised crime group have been jailed for more than 48 years as part of Operation Venetic

Detective Inspector Mike Robinson from the NWROCU Operations Team said: "Today we've seen four more people put behind bars as part of Operation Venetic - an international operation targeting criminals who used a mobile encryption device to try and evade detection.

"They mistakenly thought that by using Encrochat they could evade police but our successes as part of Op Venetic show how wrong they were. Messages proved that the crime group were responsible for supplying multi-kilos of Class A drugs up and down the country, damaging people’s lives and the communities we serve. The evidence was so overwhelming that they had no choice but to plead guilty to their crimes.

"The sentences today reflect the seriousness of their crimes and will hopefully serve as a deterrent to others who are either involved or aspire to be involved in trafficking drugs across our region and beyond."

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References

  1. ^ Liverpool Crown Court (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  2. ^ Live updates as driver and 14 year-old schoolgirl killed in M53 crash (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  3. ^ Alder Hey declare 'major incident' after M53 school bus crash (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  4. ^ Roby (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  5. ^ Wirral (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  6. ^ newsletter (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
  7. ^ Win £100 worth of groceries at Aldi in celebration of 1,000th store opening (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)

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