An EncroChat dealer stayed silent for two and a half hours after police made a huge discovery.
When police first discovered Callum Buckley's drugs lock up and love for designer goods, he remained silent in his police interview for two and a half hours. Buckley, who splashed cash on a Louis Vuitton bag and a Rolex watch, tried to "pass the blame" when later quizzed by detectives about the sinister a £81k stash of drugs.
The 33-year-old, who was previously hit with an 18-month suspended sentence for possession of drugs at the Creamfields festival, used the encrypted messaging service EncroChat to flog of heroin, cocaine, amphetamine and cannabis. Following a police investigation, Buckley was found with designer goods valued at more than £50,000, including the designer bag and watch, MEN reports.
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He pleaded guilty to seven charges at an earlier hearing – conspiracy to supply cocaine; conspiracy to supply diamorphine; conspiracy to supply cannabis; possession with intent to supply cocaine; possession with intent to supply amphetamine; possession with intent to supply cannabis and possessing criminal property.
On Wednesday (September 27), Manchester Crown Court heard he was found using the EncroChat handle 'Peptalk' in April 2020. He was busted during Operation Venetic, which saw police hack encrypted phones.
Prosecuting, Harriet Lavin told the court messages on the phone showed Buckley was involved in the "wholesale" supply of Class A and B substances. A storage unit rented by Buckley was cracked open as police seized a "large amount" of drugs.
Some 7.9kg of amphetamine, with a street value of £79,200 was found, as well as 72g of cannabis to with a value of £720 and 18.3g of high-purity cocaine worth £1,830. The total value of the haul amounted to £81,750.
Ms Lavin said Buckley accepted he rented the unit, but said others had access to it, denying any knowledge of the drugs. Ms Lavin said the EncroChat records "do not reflect the sum total of this defendant's drug dealing".
She said: "They are merely a snapshot of it. It gives a snapshot as to the extent of this defendant's drug dealing and his role."
Mitigating, David Morton KC said: "Mr Buckley has a daughter with his partner who is two-years-old. He hasn't seen her for half her life already. I ask the court to reflect on the good work he clearly has done.
"He has entered brave and realistic pleas. He has never been to prison before and this is has been quite an ordeal for him. He is bright, articulate and cooperative and this will be a devastating sentence in any view."
Sentencing Buckley, Recorder Philip Barnes said it was clear Buckley regretted the choices he made "as a younger man" – and that a note he penned ahead of the sentencing hearing was "insightful and refreshingly honest".
"The Encrochat network was a serious communication system used as a point of entry for dealers that wanted to be seen to be serious players in drug dealing," the judge said.
"You were dealing at serious level in 2020 as the messages show and continued to enjoy the trappings of that life. Your role was a leading one and you expected and obtained significant financial gain. You then sought to put the blame onto others and claimed you knew nothing of the drugs.
"You were an important part of the machinery that supplied drugs onto the streets and the societal breakdown that comes with controlled drugs."
Buckley, of Weybridge Avenue, Manchester, was sentenced to 11 years.
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