Encrypted Chat Drug Dealer Gets 12 Years for £4m Cocaine Haul
Fatjon Kurti, 34, used the secret messaging platform EncroChat to move at least 58kg of cocaine worth over £4 million on London streets.
‘Botarrota’ Runs a Fake Catering Biz to Cover Tracks
Kurti, from Newport Court near Leicester Square, ran his drug empire under the alias ‘Botarrota’. To dodge police, he set up a sham company called E&T Catering, registered at his home but offering no real catering service.
Between March and June 2020, Kurti orchestrated numerous deals on EncroChat—an encrypted network later busted by international police.
Busted by Location and Phone Data
Investigators linked Kurti to ‘Botarrota’ by tracking his phone movements. His encrypted phone operated mostly across London but popped up in Weymouth and Bournemouth in May and June 2020. ANPR cameras spotted two cars rented by Kurti matching these movements, and mobile data confirmed both his phones travelled together.
Kurti also slipped up when he messaged about ordering a PlayStation “coming on Thursday” — at that moment, he started subscribing to Sony services.
UK’s National Crime Agency Crack the Case
Digging through over 16,000 EncroChat messages, NCA officers exposed Kurti’s network of trusted middlemen handling cocaine and cash. He openly admitted his “business is cocaine,” sharing images of drugs and cash to broker deals.
On 3 May 2020, Kurti discussed a whopping deal—11 kilos of cocaine for £272,500.
Arrested last November, Kurti was today jailed for 12 years at Southwark Crown Court.
NCA Branch Commander Matt McMillan said: “Through some excellent and tenacious investigative work, the team built a rock-solid case and Kurti’s only option was to admit his guilt. The Class A drugs trade drives gang violence and real suffering across UK communities. We’ll keep fighting men like Fatjon Kurti.”
