A couple caught handling a staggering £12 million worth of drugs and dirty cash have been sentenced after a major Metropolitan Police bust.
Kingpin Caught with £160k in a Carrier Bag
Samuel De Vere-Hunt, 30, from Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, was arrested leaving his home with £160,000 stuffed in a carrier bag. The drug dealer was found to be laundering over £6 million and supplying hundreds of kilos of MDMA, ketamine, and cannabis across London. On January 30, he was handed a hefty 12-year prison sentence at Kingston Crown Court.
His girlfriend, Rosie Wise, 25, also from Kelvedon Hatch, got a suspended sentence of one year and nine months after admitting her role as his accomplice.
Encrypted Messages Crack Open Crime Ring
Police cracked the case by sifting through thousands of encrypted EncroChat messages. The service, used by criminals to hide their tracks, revealed a user named “Modernfeet” and “Immaculatetractor” moving millions in cash and multi-kilo drug deals.
Investigators confirmed De Vere-Hunt was this mysterious figure and pinpointed his home after piecing together phone data, food deliveries, and other intel. A swift police raid on January 9 uncovered:
- 15kg ketamine
- 12kg of cannabis
- Over 6kg of Class A drugs (MDMA and 2C-B)
- £179,000 in cash scattered across the property
Officers caught De Vere-Hunt as he walked out carrying two boxes filled with £160,000 in illicit cash.
Luxury Lifestyle on Drug Millions
Despite being officially unemployed, De Vere-Hunt and Wise lived the high life, jetting off to luxury spots like Portugal, Ibiza, LA, and Mykonos. Designer goods, including a flashy Rolex, adorned the couple, while Wise earned just £13 an hour as a receptionist.
After analysing his phone, police uncovered that between September 2024 and January 2025, he moved another £2.8 million and supplied over a quarter of a tonne of drugs worth £6 million on the streets.
Charges and Guilty Pleas
Samuel De Vere-Hunt pleaded guilty on March 27 to multiple offences, including:
- Two counts of conspiracy to conceal criminal property
- Two counts of being concerned in the supply of Class B drugs
- Three counts of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs
- Four counts of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs
- Possession of criminal property
Rosie Wise initially denied charges related to Class A drug supply and possession of criminal property, but later pleaded guilty on June 25 after incriminating evidence was found on her phone.
The EncroChat takedown continues to strike at organised crime networks once thought untouchable. This latest conviction sends a powerful warning to drug dealers living the high life on the streets of Britain.
