Gang that made millions from huge drugs deals jailed

A drugs gang who imported and supplied huge quantities of cocaine and heroin, collecting millions of pounds in the process, have been jailed.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said Thomas Bradley, Nathan Lobley, Paul Taylor and Craig Ganson used encrypted messages to make many deals and make up more than £2m a month between March and May 2020.

The force said the group were caught out after police gained access to the EncroChat encrypted criminal phone network in June 2020.

The men were jailed for between five years and eight months and 14 years at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Thursday.

GMP said the men were identified from their EncroChat handles, which also revealed the scale of their drug-dealing.

Nathan Lobley, of Ashfield Drive in Manchester, arranged to take possession of 42lb (19kg) of cocaine, worth just under £800,000, and arranged to supply a third party with a revolver.

The force said Bradley, of Mellaliey Street in Middleton, Rochdale, was "recognised as someone who was collecting cash from 20 other encrypted handles".

It said the 33-year-old was collecting on an almost daily basis and made approximately £2m a month.

'Complex' investigation

Investigating officers found he collected about £5.8m between 16 March and 31 May 2020.

After he was exposed, he went on the run for nine months, but was arrested on 3 December 2022 after returning to the UK via Holyhead.

The force said 44-year-old Ganson, of Fernhurst Street in Chadderton, Oldham, was "a wholesale regional supplier of cocaine and heroin" who purchased at least 24lb (11kg) of cocaine and 4lb (2kg) of heroin from his suppliers.

It added that 46-year-old Taylor, of Windermere Road in Middleton, Rochdale, purchased 2lb (1kg) of cocaine on 21 April 2020 for £37,000 and passed £80,390 to Bradley during the indictment period.

Lobley was jailed for 14 years for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs and supplying a firearm and ammunition, while Bradley was jailed for nine years for conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs and money laundering.

Ganson was jailed for seven years and 10 months for conspiracy to supply class A drugs and Taylor was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and money laundering.

Speaking after sentencing, Det Con David Grimshaw said the investigation into the gang had been "complex".

"These men thought they were hiding behind an encrypted communication system that would mean identifying them would be difficult, but it wasn’t," he said.

"They openly communicated through this system, which has led to them going straight to prison."