Ex-Barrow Defender Busted: Footballer Jailed for Nine Years Over £480K Drug Empire
Encrypted Phone Blunder Exposes Drug Kingpin
Francis Ventre, 63, once a defender for Barrow A.F.C., is behind bars for nine years after masterminding a massive £479,500 cocaine and ketamine trafficking ring. The Liverpool-based ex-footballer used his former club’s name as a password on an encrypted phone—his own undoing.
Ventre operated under the alias “Dillforest” on an EncroChat device between April and June 2020. These phones were notorious with criminals until international police cracked the platform, unlocking millions of secret messages, including Ventre’s.
The Merseyside Organised Crime Partnership, a joint task force of the National Crime Agency and Merseyside Police, uncovered his key role in pushing Class A cocaine and Class B ketamine across Merseyside.
Inside the Drug Operation
- “Dillforest” advertised cocaine and ketamine, often slashing prices to move stock fast.
- He personally handled deliveries or coordinated couriers to strike deals.
- Images of drugs and chats about cash profits and payments were found on his phone.
- The haul included 1kg of cocaine worth £38,500 and a staggering 63kg of ketamine valued at £441,000 on the streets.
Investigators also matched personal clues from encrypted texts—birthday, postcode, and the word “barrow” in his password—to confirm Dillforest was indeed Francis Ventre, the former football pro.
Fall From Grace: Arrest and Conviction
Ventre was swooped on at his West Derby home on 25 November 2025. He faced serious charges: conspiracy to supply cocaine and ketamine, plus converting criminal property. The ex-footballer pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court on 10 December 2025.
The judge slammed the former defender with a nine-year sentence, bringing down the curtain on his criminal dealings and revealing a dark secret behind his sporting past.
