Seven criminals who were part of an organised crime group and used a dog breeding clinic to hide their illegal activity have been locked up. The network of encrypted usernames identified members of a who were sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on Monday (April 8).
It's the end product of a painstaking investigation that has lasted two-and-a-half years. Officers from Essex Police's Serious and Organised Crime Unit launched a probe in 2020 after EncroChat mobile devices were unlocked in Europe.
As a result of that investigation, officers executed 11 warrants at properties across south and west Essex and in Kent in October 2022, making a number of arrests. Officers executed 11 warrants in October 2022 and found a large quantity of Class A drugs.
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Daniel French, 39, of London Road in Kent, and Paul Austin, 47, of Burnt Mills Road in Basildon, were at the top of the chain. They managed the group and oversaw the supply of cocaine and cannabis as well as money laundering.
Encrypted chats between March and May 2020 showed the pair to be middle-market dealers, sourcing cocaine in bulk and arranging for its onward distribution to lower-level dealers. Officers were able to prove French and Austin decided who to buy from and sell to and arranged for the payment of wages to people working for them.
Austin's business, a dog breeding clinic, was used as a hub for the operation. Members of the organised crime group would visit for meetings and cash would be deposited to be laundered.
French and Austin purchased around 14kg of cocaine. This was then sold on in wholesale amounts as well as being broken down and sold at street level by others in the group.
French was found in the boot of a car at Portsmouth's ferry port attempting to flee to Spain when he was arrested. Teresa Kelly, 50, of Chalk End in Basildon, operated as a money launderer or accountant for the group - she would collect and count profit generated and was also involved in the smaller-scale supply of cannabis.
Wesley Nice, 45, of Broomfields, Basildon, was responsible for physically distributing cocaine to customers, under the watchful eye of French and Austin. He was responsible for collecting and delivering money – and arranging the physical handover of drugs and money.
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He also ran a side business alongside Darren Witteridge, 45, of Long Riding, Basildon, selling cocaine, MDMA and cannabis to his own customer base over an eight-year period. When he was arrested, he was found with weapons including machetes and £15,000 in cash.
Witteridge was responsible for holding cocaine for the OCG and followed the orders of Nice, taking delivery of kilos of cocaine and breaking them down into smaller deals.
On his arrest, Witteridge was found with weapons including CS gas and machetes.
Lee Mallin, 42, of Oak Road, Grays, was identified to be a cocaine dealer who purchased cocaine from the OCG and distributed the drugs to street-level dealers.
Malcom Maxted, 50, of Daiglen Drive, South Ockendon, transported cash and cocaine between Mallin and OCG members Witteridge and Kelly. Austin, French, Mallin and Maxted admitted conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering.
Witteridge admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Nice admitted two counts of conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering. Kelly admitted money laundering and being concerned in the supply of a Class B drug.
Austin was sentenced to 12 years and six months' imprisonment; French was sentenced to 11 years and ten months' imprisonment. Nice was given a sentence of 12 years and 11 months; Mallin is behind bars for four years and nine months.
Maxted was sentenced to three years, Witteridge to 11 years and five months, and Kelly to three years and four months. Court proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act are underway to attempt to recover monies gained from the drug supply enterprise.
Detective Sergeant Stephen Robson, of the Serious Organised Crime Unit, said: "This was a substantial investigation, uncovering a network of criminals who thought they could operate with impunity as they moved vast sums of money and quantities of cocaine. They came up against our dedicated Serious and Organised Crime Unit, which was able to piece together the complex web of communications between the members of this organised enterprise.
"We don’t just look to stop drug dealing on the street, our sights are set higher on those involved in the wholesale purchase and supply of harmful substances. The sale of drugs is linked to the exploitation of vulnerable users, with people drawn in by the false promise of money, expensive clothing and a luxurious lifestyle. The reality is far different."
Temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Rob Kirby, Head of Major Crime at the Serious Crime Directorate for Kent and Essex for Kent and Essex, added: "Our dedicated and specialist teams, who work day-in, day-out to disrupt the supply of illegal drugs in Essex, have dismantled many groups which use the EncroChat system. However this OCG is the largest such group we have investigated across Essex.
"This is a just outcome for the hard work of officers and staff across several different teams within Essex Police, proving a life of brazen criminality in the world of drug supply will never pay in the long term. The tireless work of our teams will never stop and those insistent on supplying drugs in our county are never safe."
