A drug dealer who declared himself “war ready” as he plotted to buy a crate of 25 Skorpion submachine guns has been jailed for 14 years.
Kirk Douglas, 35, used the handle ‘LakePepper’ on the secure EncroChat messaging network as he shared an image of the deadly weapons for sale.
He and his criminal contacts discussed buying guns “in bulk”, and at the end of a two-hour messaging session Douglas wrote “we war ready” and declared “we get 25”.
The EncroChat system became popular with organised crime groups as it promised a secure network for its users, supposedly unbreakable by police.
But it was infiltrated by international law enforcement in 2020, leading to hundreds of drug dealers and criminals being rounded up across the UK.
Detectives found incriminating messages about Douglas’ cocaine dealing operation, and they recovered £57,000 from the safe at his home in south London.
At Inner London crown court on Thursday, Douglas was jailed for 14 years.
Judge Benedict Kelleher said the gun case against Douglas was built on messages sent on April 10, 2020.
“You received a photograph via EncroChat from another user using the handle Palace Gin in which a box of Skorpion machine pistols with ammunition was shown and also a self-loading pistol.
“Within moments of receiving these images, you forwarded them on to at least five others and there was then a discussion with at least two about the possibility of acquiring them and prices.”
The judge concluded: “There is a clear impression you were conveying you were able to supply to the others a large amount of firearms.”
Further EncroChat messages showed Douglas discussing five Glock pistols, contacts in Russia, the shipping of Skorpions into the UK, and the possibility of buying 20 kilos of cocaine for £300,000.
At trial, Douglas denied being behind the ‘LakePepper’ account and the EncroChat device he had used was never found. But Douglas’ own mobile phone was tracked and found to have been present when the incriminating EncroChat messages were sent.
The court heard there is no evidence the Skorpion submachine guns were ever acquired.
Met Police officers raided his home in September 2021, recovering 700 grams of cannabis and £57,000 in a safe in his bedroom.
The court heard Douglas lives at home with his parents in Elephant and Castle, south London, and has struggled with learning difficulties and low numeracy and literacy skills.
He was convicted when 18-years-old of shooting a student in the leg at close range during a raid on the victim's Peckham home, and was jailed for nine years.
His mother, brother and sister were allowed to sit in the well of the court as sentence was passed.
Douglas pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine. He was found guilty at trial of conspiracy to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to transfer a prohibited weapon, possession with intent to supply class B drugs, and possessing criminal property.
