Former Barrow A.F.C. defender Francis Ventre, 63, has been jailed for nine years for masterminding a £479,500 cocaine and ketamine conspiracy. The Liverpool-based ex-footballer used his club’s name as the password for an encrypted phone to arrange his drug deals.
Encrypted Phone Crack Leads to Downfall
Ventre operated behind the alias “Dillforest” on an EncroChat phone between April and June 2020. These phones were favoured by criminals for anonymous messaging until an international law enforcement team cracked the platform in 2020. This breakthrough gave police access to millions of messages, including Ventre’s.
The Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership, combining National Crime Agency and Merseyside Police efforts, uncovered Dillforest’s leading role in distributing Class A cocaine and Class B ketamine.
Behind the Screens: Drug Deals and Clues
- Dillforest offered cocaine and ketamine—sometimes discounting prices—and personally delivered the drugs or coordinated others to do so.
- He shared images of the drugs and discussed profit transfers and payments.
- His supply involved 1 kilogram of cocaine (£38,500 street value) and 63 kilograms of ketamine (£441,000 street value).
Investigators pieced together details from thousands of encrypted messages, noting his birthday, postcode, and the key “barrow” in his password, linking Dillforest directly to ex-Barrow A.F.C. footballer Francis Ventre.
Arrest, Guilty Plea & Sentencing
Ventre was arrested at his West Derby home on 25 November 2025. Charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine, conspiracy to supply ketamine, and conspiracy to convert criminal property, he pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court on 10 December 2025.
The court handed down a nine-year prison sentence, ending Ventre’s criminal career and exposing the dark side beneath his football past.
