THREE men, including a father and son, have been jailed over a plot to supply cocaine and cannabis worth £4m.
Ricky Lee, 31, Christopher Gresty, 56, and his son Louis Gresty, 25, from Salford, even continued dealing drugs in Manchester, Liverpool, and Coventry during the first coronavirus lockdown. Now they have been jailed thanks to evidence obtained from their EncroChat phones.
Lee used his ill-gotten gains to pay for IVF treatment, holding a 'gender reveal' party during lockdown. In video seized by police, Lee is even captured counting a pile of cash and saying: "What d'you reckon that is? Half a day's work!?"
Their operation was smashed by Greater Manchester Police as part of Operation Venetic, the force's initiative to mine incriminating data hacked by law enforcement from EncroChat's servers in northern France in April 2020. The encrypted devices were exclusively used by criminals, according to police.
Ricky Lee used EncroChat handles 'scarygate' and 'shockingstar' to communicate with others and organise the wholesale acquisition and supply of cocaine and cannabis across Manchester, Liverpool and even Coventry, a court heard.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Ten Hag wants a £200k 'privacy wall' at Carrington
ERIK ten Hag has reportedly requested a privacy wall to be built at United's training ground, costing the club £200,000.
"There is no reason to expect any sort of statement after Sir Jim's meeting'
UNITED are yet to clarify Erik ten Hag's future following their executive meeting in London on Tuesday.
ETH says Ugarte needs time but it's hard to develop if he's not playing...
ERIK ten Hag's decision to drop the two central defenders he had worked with previously and pushed to be reunited with at Old Trafford attracted plenty of attention this week, but it wasn't his only surprising selection call.
BEV'S LOOKING TO GO CRAZY!
BEVAN French admits it will be 'a crazy feeling' if he can light up Saturday's Grand Final with another of his freakish tries.
HAALAND ON 'GABGATE' 'What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch'
STRIKER HAS ‘NO REGRETS' OVER THROWING BALL AT GAB
Root: Plenty of runs still to get
JOE Root insists there are 'many more runs left to get' overhauling Sir Alastair Cook to become England's record Test run-scorer.
'Local Retail Champions make our communities better places to live'
LOTTERY OPERATOR ‘EXCITED' TO RECOGNISE RETAILERS, SAYS ALLWYN CEO ANDRIA VIDLER
Badenoch or Jenrick to lead Conservatives
ROBERT Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch will go head-to-head in the final heat of the Conservative Party leadership contest, after James Cleverly was knocked out in the latest round of voting.
Letby told colleague of 'distress'
CHILD serial killer nurse Lucy Letby told a colleague more than a year before her arrest she was worried she had \"maybe done something wrong\" to babies, an inquiry has heard.
Idris acts to give youth a chance
IDRIS Elba has partnered with The Prince's Trust to launch a new project that aims to give a 'chance' to the young people of Manchester.
