Drug Dealers Busted After Encrochat Crackdown
Bradley O’Neill and Wayne Denton were caught red-handed distributing class A drugs using the encrypted messaging app Encrochat. Their criminal empire cracked wide open after international law enforcement broke the supposedly unbreakable code in 2020.
Encrypted Messages Lead Police to Drug Ring
Kent Police launched a full investigation after the Encrochat hack exposed the pair’s communications. Between March and June 2020, 29-year-old O’Neill from Sheerness arranged deliveries totalling 25 kilograms of cocaine to other dealers.
Known online as ‘Call Me Curly’, O’Neill unwittingly gave away his identity. He messaged about being stopped and searched by police on the A2 near Bexleyheath, even mentioning the National Police Air Service helicopter involved.
“O’Neill also gave up family members’ names and birthdays, which helped officers pin him down,” a police source said.
Safehouse Operator Caught After Sharing Driving Licence
Wayne Denton, 37, from Downham Market, Norfolk, went by ‘Call Me Fisherman’ on Encrochat and ran the safehouse storing the cocaine. He blew his cover by sending a photo of his driving licence to O’Neill during a message exchange, plus sharing personal details of his family.
Sentences Handed Down for Conspiring to Supply Cocaine
Both men pleaded guilty to conspiring to supply class A drugs. O’Neill was sentenced to nine years in prison at Maidstone Crown Court on 11 July 2024. Denton received four years and nine months behind bars.
“Cocaine is a dangerous substance that ruins lives,” said Detective Constable Steve Brown. “There is no place for it on Kent’s streets. Thanks to Encrochat’s takedown, criminals like O’Neill and Denton will face justice and can no longer harm our communities.”
He added: “These offenders thought the encrypted service gave them a shield, but there’s no hiding from the law.”
