A 'charity worker' lived a secret life as a drug kingpin who met Encrochat contacts while on holiday in Dubai.
Faiz Rehman bought and sold drugs including cocaine, heroin and cannabis over an 11-week period between March and June 2020. Despite a short time frame, he managed to facilitate the sale of drugs worth £4,227,000.
Prosecutor Tom Storey told Leeds Crown Court that the 37-year-old from Bradford had arranged with a supplier from Liverpool to buy "stock" which included class A drugs and conversed with suppliers and customers using EncroChat, the encrypted telephone and messaging system classified by the National Crime Agency as a criminally dedicated platform designed for and used by criminals.
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Mr Storey said users Rehman communicated with included "Stockygiant", who was a supplier from Liverpool, and a customer called "Hippocrown".
The prosecutor said: "On April 20 he sold 1kg of cocaine to another Encrochat user. On 21st April he made 'Stockygiant' aware Ramadan started soon and he needed 'a lot' and needed 50kg on each delivery."
The court heard that in another conversation with "Stockygiant", Rehman, of Hereford Drive in Bradford, ordered cannabis, cocaine and heroin before he told him cannabis had been stolen from a warehouse. Rehman then went on to order 5kg of cocaine and 1kg of heroin.
Mr Storey said: "On 24th April, Stockygiant agreed he would deliver the cocaine and heroin separately and an address in Bradford was provided. A courier arrived that afternoon. Three vehicles were involved, messages showed.
"He [Rehman] offered to sell cocaine to Hippocrown and arranged to meet another [Encrochat] user due to high demand near a corner shop that evening."
The court heard another delivery of cocaine was made from Stockygiant on April 25 and later that day Rehman asked for another 5kg as he said he had sold 2kg that day and 28kg that week. Mr Storey said later analysis showed messages between Rehman and other users where he made reference to Rolex watches and wanting a car for his wife which he would exchange for cannabis, YorkshireLive reports.
Mr Storey said the Encrochat system was "compromised" by the Dutch and French authorities on June 13 that year, just days after Rehman had "made it clear he didn't want to travel for drugs as he didn't want to risk being caught on ANPR cameras. The court heard Rehman told another user he wanted to "buy as much as he could" before leaving his role in the drug dealing operation before July.
In other messages, Rehman bragged about being able to sell 40kg to 50kg of heroin a month and in June he made reference to cannabis and cocaine being his main area of business. The court was told Rehman communicated with another Encrochat user - Lynxbasil - who he had met in Dubai. Mr Storey said: "It was on 11th May when he and Lynxbasil discussed the availability of handguns and they discussed respective kg packages. They showed pictures of blocks of drugs with various logos and pictures of cash ready to exchange for drugs."
The National Crime Agency (NCA), noticed Rehman - who appeared in court from HMP Leeds - travelling to Liverpool and visiting a safety deposit box in Leeds Road, Bradford, the court heard.
Mr Storey said between March and June 2020, Rehman supplied 55kg of cocaine - 5kg per week - with a wholesale price of £39,000 per kg, 50kg of heroin and 295kg of cannabis. He said the total value of the drugs was £4,227,000.
The court heard he was arrested on February 11, 2022, after police stopped a black Mercedes car in which he was the passenger. A search of his home revealed just under £2,000 in cash, several high-value watches and weighing scales which held traces of cocaine and heroin. During his interview, he produced a statement denying the offences and answered "no comment" to all questions.
The Bradford dad pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiring with others to supply class A drugs, and one count of conspiring with others to supply class B drugs after a plea, trial and preparation hearing last year. He had indicated a guilty plea to lesser charges at the magistrates' court.
Mitigating, Riyas Shaikh, said a reference from Rehman's wife said he had been a charity worker who had visited Lebanon and Pakistan and had been featured in local media for it. The barrister said Rehman had a role in a "hierarchy" where Stockygiant was his supplier, and there was a person above him and above them "was likely to be the importers."
The court heard Rehman was sentenced in 2010 for possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition, but Mr Shaikh said: "He has no drug or drug trafficking convictions on his record." He said the reference from his wife provided "further insight into how he can be" and he told Recorder David Kelly "you know his regret and remorse in these matters and that was expressed in his guilty plea."
Mr Shaikh said there was "not one iota of evidence of any offending in between" June 2020 and Rehman's arrest and he stopped voluntarily.
Recorder Kelly told the court "despite having no income" Rehman led a "luxurious lifestyle with cars and high-value watches such as Rolexs."
As he jailed him he said: "Already you were an established major drug dealer by the time your activities were discovered. It is clear it was an extremely sophisticated operation...I have no doubt you regret the pain and suffering that you caused your wife and young daughter by the sentence you must receive as a result of your activities."
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