An EncroChat dealer who went by the name "shallowfrog" was a trusted courier who helped move £8m worth of drugs.
Liverpool man Shaun Lewis, 55, was part of a major organised crime group who supplied large-scale quantities of class A drugs. Lewis worked alongside Michael Taylor, 43, of Newton Heath, who orchestrated the purchasing and supply of drugs with an estimated street value of around £8m.
The two men were ensnared by an investigation by Greater Manchester Police's Serious Organised Crime Unit. The probe was launched in 2020 after detectives gained access to the conversations between Lewis and Taylor on the back of the takedown of the encrypted network EncroChat.
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After monitoring the pair for nearly two years officers executed warrants and arrested them in December 2022. Despite the pair giving "no comment" interviews in December, the EncroChat messages detailed their entire operation.
Taylor, who operated under the name "truebaker" on his device, orchestrated the events using his trusted courier and storeman Lewis for the dirty work. Over a period of three months the men were involved in purchasing over 200kg of cocaine, 61kg of cannabis, and responsible for moving over £300,000 of their ill-gotten gains.
Detective Inspector Paul Crompton of GMP Serious Organised Crime Group said: "These criminals thought they were safe, operating below the radar, hidden behind perceived anonymity whilst they conducted their criminal businesses using encrypted phones.
"Unfortunately for them, a series of once encrypted messages and a meticulous investigation by my team revealed an evidence trail that has landed them both in jail. The levels of violence and exploitation linked to the illegal drugs supply in the UK is not to be underestimated, not only are we going after the ringleaders, but we’re disrupting those mid-tier criminals like Taylor and Lewis before they can make their way up the chain and cause even greater harm to our communities."
DI Crompton added intelligence from the public had played an important role in the investigation and urged people with concerns of suspicious activity to report it. He added: "This helps us successfully shatter established criminal networks and deprive them of their assets."
Taylor was jailed for 10 years while Lewis was jailed for six after they were both found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs.
Anyone with information or concerns should report to police online, if able, at www.gmp.police.uk or via 101. Always call 999 in an emergency. Details can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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