A man operating a sophisticated drugs and firearms network through an encrypted communications platform has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. Kirk Douglas, aged 43, of Browning Street, Southwark, was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on Thursday, November 30.
Douglas was involved in a conspiracy to supply various firearms, including Scorpion, Uzi, and Mac-10 submachine guns, along with multiple types of handguns, between May and April in 2020. Additionally, he conspired with others to supply large quantities of cocaine, leading to a profit of £57,980 from his criminal activities.
The case against Douglas was built by Specialist Crime officers and the Met’s Intelligence Team, who traced the Encrochat handle ‘Lakepepper’ back to him in April 2021. Encrochat is an encrypted communications network often used by criminals for illegal activities.
European partners had accessed the encrypted communications network Encrochat in 2020 and provided data to the National Crime Agency (NCA), which helped identify Douglas as the owner of the ‘Lakepepper’ handle. The police used sophisticated telephone data analysis and researched Encrochat messages attributed to Douglas, which revealed the significant involvement of drugs and firearms in his criminal activities.
A subsequent search warrant executed at Douglas’s residence uncovered £57,980 in cash, additional drugs, and supporting evidence linking him to the ‘Lakepepper’ handle.
Detective Inspector Jon Summers, from the Gangs and Proactive Unit, commented on the case, saying, “Douglas arranged large-scale drug deals to make as much money as possible, with no thought of the misery and devastation he would cause in communities because of the violence it inevitably leads to. He traded and bought firearms to protect his organized crime network. This investigation has undoubtedly prevented deadly violence that would have seriously impacted communities.
Despite Douglas’s belief that using encrypted devices would render him untouchable, the evidence gathered against him proved otherwise. The successful outcome of this case demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to target and dismantle organized criminal networks that threaten public safety.
Kirk Douglas was found guilty of several offenses, including conspiracy to transfer prohibited weapons, conspiracy to possess a firearm without a certificate, conspiracy to supply a class A controlled drug, possessing a controlled drug of class B with intent, and possessing criminal property.
Operation Eternal, which led to Douglas’s arrest and conviction, exemplifies data-led policing efforts to target criminals causing the most harm in London, as outlined in the Met’s A New Met for London plan. The operation has contributed to making the streets of London safer by preventing potentially catastrophic consequences associated with the firearms and drugs involved in this case.
