A drug-dealing joiner from Dundee, snared by a crackdown on an encrypted criminal network, has been hit with an eight-year prison sentence for his involvement in serious organised crime.
Aaron Bradford was found guilty of running a major drugs operation from his city home.
Disguising himself as “Elpazzo”, Bradford used the secretive EncroChat network to discuss his illicit activities.
Police raided the property he rented on Strachan Avenue in 2020 as part of Operation Venetic – a Europe-wide crackdown on EncroChat.
He is the first person in Scotland to be convicted after trial as a result of the operation.
No drugs or significant amounts of cash were found but officers seized a samurai sword, ‘tick lists’, a Land Rover Discovery and a hydraulic press, as well as blenders which contained traces of cocaine.
The court heard messages from “Elpazzo” – identified as Bradford through vet and taxi booking records – discussed the supply of drugs, including cocaine, amphetamine, and cannabis, between March and June 2020.
In one conversation, he forwarded on a picture of cocaine while another conversation centred on how one drug deal had earned him £17,000.
Serious organised crime
At the High Court in Dundee Bradford, 35, had tried to incriminate Perth plumber David Keen, 40, who denied being a drugs courier.
Bradford, a prisoner of HMP Perth, was found guilty of being involved in serious organised crime at his home on Strachan Avenue between March 31 and June 15 2020 by agreeing with unknown people to use encrypted devices to communicate about obtaining and supplying drugs.
He concerned himself in the purchase and onward supply of cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis.
Bradford arranged for the collection and proceeds of the drugs.
A jury convicted him of a second charge of being concerned in the supply of cocaine during the same period, aggravated by its links to serious organised crime.
Bradford appeared via video link at the High Court in Aberdeen on Wednesday and was sentenced to a total of eight years behind bars by judge Andrew Miller.
Sentencing comments
The judge said: “It is clear from the evidence led at your trial that, during the period covered by these charges, you played a leading, or at least significant, role in an operation to supply controlled drugs, particularly cocaine, in the Dundee area.
“The jury were satisfied that you personally exchanged encrypted messages, via the EncroChat platform, with other users of that platform, relating to the purchase by you of kilo quantities of cocaine, together with adulterants used to increase the bulk and volume of cocaine prior to its onward supply, and relating to the purchase by you of significant quantities of other controlled drugs, specifically amphetamine and edible products containing cannabis, for onward supply
“Further messages which you exchanged with other EncroChat users related to arrangements for the transportation of controlled drugs to you for onward supply, the process of adulterating cocaine for onward supply, the use of packaging designed to evade the detection of cocaine by the police during transportation, the collection of drug debts owed to you, and the sending by you of large quantities of cash to another EncroChat user in payment for controlled drugs supplied to you.”
He went on: “The jury were satisfied that you were personally and knowingly involved in an operation based at your home address to supply cocaine.
“These are very serious offences because of the harm which the supply of controlled drugs, particularly Class A drugs such as cocaine, causes to individuals, families and communities.”
Proceeds of crime pursuit
A proceeds of crime action has been initiated.
Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal, Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “This was a coordinated effort to release a sizeable quantity of drugs into Dundee.
“But now, thanks to the efforts of Police Scotland and COPFS, this individual faces a lengthy prison sentence.
“We will continue to target all those who threaten communities across Scotland, not only drug couriers but also those who direct their movements.
“With each case of this kind we can help reduce the harm these drugs inflict on those communities.”
Operation Venetic
In July 2020, the National Crime Agency (NCA) announced Operation Venetic had brought down “entire organised crime groups… with 746 arrests, and £54m criminal cash, 77 firearms and over two tonnes of drugs seized so far.”
It said encrypted instant messaging service EncroChat’s “sole use was for coordinating and planning the distribution of illicit commodities, money laundering and plotting to kill rival criminals.”
It had 60,000 users worldwide and around 10,000 users in the UK, whose EnroChat-specific burner phones could be monitored after the encryption was broken.
The authorities were, themselves, rumbled in June 2020.
The NCA said: “EncroChat realised the platform had been penetrated and sent a message to its users urging them to throw away their handsets.
“The phones – which have pre-loaded apps for instant messaging, the ability to make VOIP calls and a kill code which wipes them remotely – have no other conventional smart phone functionality and cost around £1,500 for a six-month contract.”
The company, which operated from outside the UK, has since closed.
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