Gun and Drug Kingspin Trio Jailed After NCA Takedown
Three men involved in a deadly drugs and gun racket have been locked up following a major National Crime Agency (NCA) crackdown. The gang, operating across the North West of England, traded multi-kilo shipments of cocaine and deadly firearms, including machine pistols, before cops finally brought them down.
EncroChat Bust Unveils Secret Gun Deals
Drug dealers Jamaine Salmon, 32, and Gary Fenton, 45, were caught red-handed using EncroChat, the encrypted messaging platform smashed by international law enforcement in 2020. Salmon, known as Maserati.Rick, lived in Manchester’s bustling Northern Quarter, while Fenton hailed from Bolton.
The pair struck deals exchanging cocaine and guns, with Fenton regularly asking Salmon for “straps” – street slang for guns. One exchange revealed Salmon offered a fully loaded firearm for £7,750. Later messages showed Salmon flogging an Uzi submachine gun and a Skorpion machine pistol, with Fenton passing the weapons list to his criminal contacts.
Drugs and Guns Flowed Through Third Man
Karl Francomb, 45, acted as the middleman. He received cocaine deliveries at his Blackburn home, handing over cash to Fenton. EncroChat evidence also revealed Salmon dealing heroin, ecstasy, ketamine, and cannabis between April and June 2020, while Fenton pushed cocaine at £40,000 a kilo.
Massive Hauls of Cash and Luxury Stolen Goods Found
The NCA swooped on the trio in October 2021. Salmon’s flat yielded £25,000 in cash plus two Rolex watches worth £45,000 – one alone valued at £35,000. Fenton tried to dispose of his phone by tossing it out a window, but officers recovered the device and £60,000 in cash at his apartment. A small stash of cocaine was found at Francomb’s home.
Heavy Sentences for Ruthless Crime Trio
All three men, unemployed at the time of arrest, pleaded guilty to the charges. Salmon broke down in tears when confronted with the evidence. At Manchester Crown Court, Salmon was slammed with 22 years, Fenton got 17 years, and Francomb was jailed for eight years.
“These were very dangerous men whose only interest was making vast amounts of money. They didn’t care how lethal their commodities were or who they ended up with,” said Dean Wallbank, NCA operations manager.
“We built an overwhelming case against them and they had no option but to plead guilty. The NCA works with law enforcement partners domestically and abroad to fight firearms and drugs threats. This case shows how intrinsically linked they are.”
Wallbank added: “We will continue to do everything we can to protect the public from the harm that individuals such as these cause to society.”
