Man jailed for drug offences connected to EncroChat messaging app

Brendan O'Callaghan was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court on Friday

A County Armagh man who used encrypted communications platform EncroChat to carry out communications in relation to drug offences has been jailed.

Brendan O'Callaghan, 37, from Armaghbrague Road in Tassagh, was sentenced to five and a half years, split between licence and prison, for a total of 16 offences committed between November 9, 2018 to July 7, 2020.

At a sentencing hearing at Belfast Crown Court on Friday, O'Callaghan was told he would also be subject to a Serious Offences Prevention Order for a period of five years

EncroChat was a top-secret communications system used by criminals to trade drugs and guns before it was shut down in July 2020.

French authorities obtained data from devices using the EncroChat service and each user had a different name, O'Callaghan used the handles 'securemail', 'Oldwinter' and 'BMAN'.

O'Callaghan's home was searched three times between July 2019 and July 2020,.

EncroChat is an encrypted communications platform

Mobile phones and cash were seized, the devices were examined and messages were found which indicated O'Callaghan was associated with drug dealing.

O'Callaghan pleaded guilty to a total of 16 offences including both being concerned in supplying drugs and offering to supply drugs as well as conspiring to possess cocaine with intent to supply.

He also admitted charges of possessing and transferring criminal property.

'Leading role'

Judge Neil Rafferty KC said he had considered defence submissions made on behalf of O'Callaghan which set out his "traumatic childhood" and "long history of mental health issues, none of which have been helped by his drug addiction".

Judge Rafferty set out several aggravating factors which included O'Callaghan's "leading role" and his use of the EncroChat "to facilitate his role and prevent detection."

The judge added that "despite searches and detections, the defendant persisted in his criminality."

Following sentencing, Det Insp McCamley said: "Throughout the case we worked closely with partners, including prosecutors from the Public Prosecution Service and the NCA.

"The latter collaborated with Europol and French authorities to gather evidence, which was in turn shared with, and used to assist, our Police Service investigation."

"It's thanks to such collaborative efforts, backed up the digital forensic evidence recovered by detectives from the Police Service's Cyber Crime Centre, that we are able to bring Brendan O'Callaghan before Court"

He added that the police will "continue to disrupt the movements and activities of organised crime groups, who bring nothing but harm to the most vulnerable within our communities".