A 52-year-old man has been charged with drug offences in relation to the EncroChat phone network.
John Hassall of Laird Street, Birkenhead, has been charged with conspiracy to import a controlled class B drug (cannabis) with intent to evade a prohibition/restriction, conspiracy to supply class A (cocaine and heroin) and class B drugs (cannabis).
Hassall has been remanded into custody and is set to appear before Wirral Magistrates today.
Police said the charges were linked to the long-running investigation into the EncroChat phone network.
A spokesman for the force said: "A Wirral man has been charged with conspiracy to supply heroin, cocaine and cannabis using the Encrochat encrypted messaging platform.
"John Hassall, 52 years, of Laird Street, Birkenhead, has been charged with conspiracy to import a controlled class B drug (cannabis) with intent to evade a prohibition/restriction, conspiracy to supply class A (cocaine and heroin) and class B drugs (cannabis).
"Hassall was remanded into custody and is due to appear at Wirral Magistrates Court this morning (Thursday 24th February).
"The charge forms part of the Merseyside Police response to Operation Venetic: a national investigation into the use of encrypted mobile devices, commonly referred to as EncroChat."
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