'The untouchables' jailed for 174 years

GANG TRAFFICKED GUNS AND PUMPED OUT HUGE QUANTITIES OF DRUGS

- ANDREW BARDSLEY, AMY WALKER & ETHAN DAVIES

THEY thought they were untouchable. They boasted of their wealth flaunting designer clothes, flashy cars and lavish jewellery.

The gang was pumping out cocaine, amphetamine and MDMA at 'wholesale level' and trafficking automatic guns to gangs across the UK. Plans to expand their empire were in the works. International clients were the next step.

The organised crime group made millions. Business was booming. But behind the scenes, the net was closing in on what cops soon realised was the biggest firearms trafficking operation ever encountered on British soil.

Greater Manchester Police and the National Crime Agency stopped the network expanding overseas following the law enforcement hack into the EncroChat system, used by top-tier criminals. Police busted encrypted phones of gang members as part of Operation Venetic.  

Following a six-week trial, seven men were convicted of a string of drugs and firearms offences. Now six of the group have been jailed for 174 years. One will discover his fate next year. Their crimes were unravelled by cops who cracked their EncroChat phones, revealing the huge scale of the illicit outfit. Omar Malik used the alias 'payyabills' to direct operations at the top of the gang.

Adrian Gonzalez, also known as 'terryf*****gtibbs' played a pivotal role controlling a stash house in Ancoats and brokering deals between other gangs. Conor Sandlan used the handle 'stellarboat' and was responsible for the stash house and the couriering of drugs, cash, and firearms.

Daniel Gibbons went by the name of 'humble waffle! He was used to set up a company which would be the front for importing weapons into the country.