20 years jail for drug-dealers linked to EncroChat operation

Two drug-dealers linked to the “UK’s biggest ever law enforcement operation” have been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.

Isshaq Khan and his nephew Jan Lee were both arrested as part of the National Crime Agency’s Operation Venetic, an investigation into the EncroChat encrypted communications platform, in 2020.

EncroChat was a service provider – since dismantled – which enabled criminals to communicate securely with one another.

But with the assistance of European law agencies, users’ data was hacked and shared with police forces across the UK.

This enabled Sussex Police to identify Khan, 30, of Grace Road, Crawley, and Lee, 33, of Percivale Close, Crawley, as both having EncroChat accounts, which they used to openly discuss their criminal activities.

Detective Inspector Jason Vickers, of the Sussex Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit, explained: “It was clear from just a snapshot of their messages, captured between March and June 2020, that Lee and Khan were running a well-established enterprise, handling hundreds of thousands of pounds and dealing with multi-kilos of cocaine and cannabis.

“This has been a large and complex investigation which resulted in both defendants charged with being concerned in supplying a controlled Class A drug (cocaine), being concerned in supplying a controlled Class B drug (cannabis) and acquiring criminal property (money laundering).”

Due to the overwhelming evidence against them, both defendants entered guilty pleas and were sentenced at Lewes Crown Court on 14 February to 10 years and six months’ imprisonment each.

In summing up, the judge stated they both played a leading role as they were directing or organising at a commercial scale, and were local wholesale suppliers in the Crawley/Sussex area.

Det Insp Vickers added: “The length of sentence handed to both defendants shows how this type of criminality will not be tolerated in Sussex, or anywhere else for that matter.”