A drug trafficker allegedly directed the sale of guns from Spain and was pictured with a firearm on a friend's Instagram page, a court has heard.
Kane Omar went on trial at Liverpool Crown Court today, Tuesday, accused of conspiracy to transfer firearms in relation to messages exchanged on encrypted communications platform EncroChat. The 27-year-old, of Alfred Street in Wavertree, admits that he used the handle "ShallowZoo" in order to facilitate the supply of illicit substances, but claims that the device was "shared" with other criminals who were supposedly responsible for brokering documented deals to sell guns.
Ben Jones, prosecuting, told a jury of eight men and four women this afternoon that he was linked to this username after the service was infiltrated by law enforcement authorities in 2020. In one chat with "LeadFern", Omar was said to have stated that his girlfriend was the daughter of fellow user "IndelibleOsprey" – or Lois Morley and her father Joseph Morley, who previously pleaded guilty to offences in relation to his activities on EncroChat.
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Other users were meanwhile said to have stored the Shallow Zoo handle in their phones under the names "Kane" or "KL8" – the latter of which matched his Snapchat username, this being a reference to the postcode of his previous home of Toxteth. Mr Jones said it was accepted by the prosecution that the account had been used by a "close associate" of the defendant, Rhys Nze, on two "very limited" occasions in May that year, but said that he had identified himself by his nickname "Rugz" or "Ruggez" during these sequences.
Both men are believed to have been located in Malaga while the messages put before the jury were being exchanged, with Omar also being pictured on this friend's open Instagram page sitting on a sofa beside a handgun. Jurors were read a selection of Shallow Zoo's messages, including one exchange with "SheBat" in which the profile was used to send a picture of what appeared to be two Glock pistols alongside the message: "75 ton each if you can get rid of them bro."
SheBat went on to respond "get on it", which was said to have been an "indication of interest" in the weapons, and asks "no silents?". Shallow Zoo then replied: "Not with them ones bro, and Rugz asked Matty or something can they get weed down these ways."
Mr Jones told the jury: "The user of Shallow Zoo has clearly identified himself as not being Rugz at that time, Rugz being a name for Rhys Nze. Clearly, at the time these messages were sent, Kane Omar and Rhys Nze were in company with one another in Spain.
"Who was sending those messages other than Kane Omar?"
The same image was also sent by Shallow Zoo to another user, Golden Bat, after the latter asked: "Any hand tings bro? For one of me mates laa."
Shallow Zoo responded by sending the photograph, accompanied by the caption "7,500 each if any good". Mr Jones said that another discussion concerning the sale of firearms had been "immediately" preceded by the other party involved, "RipePower", making a reference to Omar's sister Deyonce.
The handle was also used to discuss the supply of Glock 17 and Glock 19 handguns with "LeadDog". This user was said to have identified Omar as being behind the Shallow Zoo handle during a conversation with "WinterMuffin".
The court also heard of another series of messages in which "AwareFern" had sent a picture of an automatic assault rifle along with the message "that's there if you know anyone bro". Shallow Zoo then asked for a price and forwarded the image to Golden Bat before being told it would cost "11-and-a-half k", after which he stated that he would "ask around".
The handle was also used to asked "LeadFern" whether he could "get any men for a glock". Lead Fern replied: "Small 9s or Lugers I think get off me mate, how many you need mate?"
Shallow Zoo requested "one of each" and enquired of the price. Lead Fern then said: "Think mate has spare.
"Let you know. Have to go Speke."
In further messages around a week later Lead Fern asked whether his contact "still needed them sweets", which Mr Jones said was a "reference to ammunition". Shallow Zoo then responded: "Yeah man, can you sort for us mate?
"Need soon as really. I'll get them picked up if you could sort please mate."
Omar, who is defended by Daniel Jones, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs, but denies conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited firearms and ammunition. The trial, before Judge Stuart Driver KC, continues and is expected to last for around five days.
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