Brothers Busted! Kent Drug Duo Caught in Massive Bust
Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate have nailed Jordan and Ryan Nicholl for a large-scale drug racket that ran from March to June 2020. Using intel from a hacked criminal phone network, cops uncovered their illicit empire.
Luxury Renault Stop Leads to Huge Cash & Evidence Haul
It all kicked off when police in Deal stopped Jordan Nicholl on May 9, 2020, eyeballing his suspicious blue Renault Megane. A quick search revealed a stash of £315,000 in cash plus an encrypted phone packed with damning messages.
Forensics found Jordan’s fingerprints all over bundles of notes, and his travel tracked near key drug exchanges. The 32-year-old from Folkestone later admitted to conspiring to supply cannabis, and handling criminal property.
Encrypted Chats Blow Their Cover
The brothers used Encrochat – a secret comms network favoured by criminals – under the alias ‘lawfulshark’ to wheel massive amounts of coke and other drugs. But cops had secretly cracked the system and watched every move.
Photos of drugs, price haggling, and split profits showed just how deep their operation ran. After the cash seizure, messages proved they lost a supplier, hitting their trade hard.
Warrants, Arrests & Sentences
- On November 23, 2020, Kent Police swooped on both brothers’ homes with simultaneous raids.
- Jordan Nicholl copped a 4½ year sentence at Canterbury Crown Court on June 22, 2022.
- Ryan Nicholl, 37, admitted conspiring to supply Class A & B drugs and awaits sentencing.
- The Renault driver, a 37-year-old man from Crawley, got 22 months for handling criminal property.
“Both brothers went to great lengths to conceal their offending, but despite their well-organised and sophisticated attempts to evade capture, we were able to gradually piece together their criminality and identify them,” said Detective Constable Aaron Chapman. “There can be no tolerance for people who conspire to supply drugs on our streets, and I am pleased that one brother has now been jailed and the other is awaiting sentence.”
