Solent cruise liner drugs bust linked to 746 arrests as National Crime Agency infiltrates criminal network

Today the National Crime Agency revealed it and European agencies have been monitoring EncroChat's 60,000 users – including 10,000 in Britain – for two months.

The service, based on a stripped-down mobile phone costing £1,500 for six months, was used to plot murders, launder money, trade illicit goods and drugs.

EncroChat's servers have now been shut down after police cracked its encryption. Before this, messages between criminals included: ‘This year the police are winning.’

Under Operation Venetic in Britain 746 people have been arrested with £54m in cash seized, along with 77 firearms and 1,800 rounds of ammunition.

Around 200 threats to life have been ‘mitigated’ the agency said after monitoring murder plots and kidnap plans.

In Hampshire, £600,000 cash was seized and nine people were arrested on suspicion of drugs supply and money laundering offences.

Detective Chief Superintendent Scott Mackechnie, from Hampshire Constabulary, said: ‘We are committed to tackling those organised criminals who bring harm to our communities through drugs supply and its associated violence.

‘We will continue to work with our partners at both a regional and a national level to ensure those responsible are brought to justice and that we maximise every opportunity to strip them of their illicit gains.’

SEE ALSO: Addicts armed with knife ‘challenge’ man and ask for drugs

The News revealed in April how a group of people had been arrested in the Solent and charged with bringing in a medicinal form of cocaine.

Today the National Crime Agency said the men, held under Operation Sylleptic, were picked up during the EncroChat monitoring.

A statement detailing the operation, it said: ‘An NCA investigation into a group suspected of attempting to import cocaine from South America into the South of England on a cruise ship liner.

‘In an operation supported by Border Force three people were arrested on April 25 in the Solent area, including a crew member of the cruise ship.

‘Two others from the north of England were later arrested, one at the Channel Tunnel terminal in Kent as they attempted to leave the UK. All five have been charged and now await trial.’

the men are due at Winchester Crown Court on August 14.

Meanwhile, the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit has also made 45 arrests, seized £3.129m, and two firearms.

Serocu officers, who cover Hampshire among elsewhere, have seized 76.8kg in cocaine, 8kg of cannabis and 5kg of other synthetics.

Detetives from Serocu raided five addresses in London and Wokingham on June 19 this year. Five men have been arrested.

NCA director of investigations Nikki Holland, said: ‘The infiltration of this command and control communication platform for the UK’s criminal marketplace is like having an inside person in every top organised crime group in the country.

‘This is the broadest and deepest ever UK operation into serious organised crime.

‘The NCA is proud to have led the UK part of this operation, working in partnership with policing and other agencies. The results have been outstanding but this is just the start.

‘A dedicated team of over 500 NCA officers has been working on Operation Venetic night and day, and thousands more across policing. And it’s all been made possible because of superb work with our international partners.

‘Together we’ve protected the public by arresting middle-tier criminals and the kingpins, the so-called iconic untouchables who have evaded law enforcement for years, and now we have the evidence to prosecute them.

‘The NCA plays a key role in international efforts to combat encrypted comms. I’d say to any criminal who uses an encrypted phone, you should be very, very worried.’

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