Crime gang sunk after ferry port arrest

DEALER HAD COLLECTED £5.8M IN DRUG MONEY IN JUST TWO MONTHS

- ANDREW BARDSLEY

A DEALER who collected £5.8 million of drug money went on the run as the net closed around him - but was caught as he returned to the UK by sea.

Thomas Bradley, 33, was working as part of a network which peddled huge quantities of cocaine and heroin.

He and three of his associates were the latest to be caught in the law enforcement infiltration of the EncroChat communications network, on which criminals openly discussed their business believing it to be secure.

Using the damning messages, police built a case against Bradley, Nathan Lobley, Craig Ganson and Paul Taylor, who used anonymous nicknames.

But prosecutors were able to prove they were the men behind the anonymous accounts.

Lobley, 38, was known as 'Carrottoxic, Bradley as 'Lovelyseal, Ganson, 43, as 'Paperboar' and Taylor, 46, as 'Augeroooo, Greater Manchester Police said.

Messages also revealed that Lobley had a firearm which he arranged to pass on to a third party.

GMP said Lobley had taken possession of at least 19 kilos of cocaine, with a street value of between £684,000 and £798,000, which he sold on.