Gun Gang Busted After Revenge Plot Foiled by EncroChat Hack
Seven men have copped to serious firearms and drug crimes after Operation Venetic cracked open the encrypted chat platform EncroChat. The breakthrough let law enforcement intercept deadly plots and illegal arms deals involving AK47s, Uzis, and more.
Survivors Plot Deadly Revenge
On 3 April 2020, Brandon Moore and Jordan Waring, both 24, walked away from a shocking shooting in Salford. Instead of lying low, they teamed up with Umair Zaheer, 34, to plan a violent payback attack. Zaheer, using the codename ‘Assassin’s Creed’, messaged: “Get a location for the target and we will end it.” One chilling EncroChat message read: “Oh yes he’s a dead man.”
Armed to the Teeth
Zaheer supplied a lethal arsenal for sale, including AK47 assault rifles and Skorpion and Uzi machine guns—“everything an assassin might want,” revealed manchester-crown-court/" title="Manchester Crown Court" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked" data-wpil-monitor-id="840">Manchester Crown Court. Co-conspirator Bilal Khan, 33, aka ‘Legend Killer’, brokered firearm deals while Robert Brazendale, 34, acted as trusted courier and quartermaster, delivering deadly weapons across the UK.
- 15 April 2020: Brazendale sold an AK47 for £10,500 in Warrington.
- Same day: Delivered Uzis, Skorpions, revolvers, and 300 rounds of ammo to Hitesh Patel, 27, who then drove them to London.
- Another deal: AK47 and ammo hidden in an office blocked discovered by NCA raid on 21 April.
EncroChat Hack Exposes Guns and Drugs Network
In early 2020, a global law enforcement partnership broke EncroChat’s encryption. The National Crime Agency (NCA) then uncovered the gang’s plans—from revenge shootings to trafficking firearms and drugs. Greater Manchester Police swooped, arresting Zaheer, Moore, Waring, Khan, Patel, Brazendale, and accomplice Louis Coleman.
Heavy Jail Terms for Deadly Dealers
Justice landed hard in court today:
- Umair Zaheer: 25 years
- Bilal Khan: 10 years 8 months
- Robert Brazendale: 11 years 3 months
- Brandon Moore: 11 years 5 months
- Jordan Waring: 8 years 7 months
- Hitesh Patel: 7 years 5 months
- Louis Coleman: 6 years 9 months
NCA operations manager Neil Gardner said: “The weapons we seized were some of the most lethal around with a devastating capability. Taking them off the streets has saved lives. Despite their encrypted chatter, these offenders were caught and brought to justice.”
Detective Constable Steven Walker added: “This group posed a massive threat to Salford. Their arsenal and plans could have been deadly. Our work with the NCA certainly saved at least one life. The community can be glad these men will be locked up for decades.”
The sting highlights the power of international police cooperation against organised crime and encrypted criminal networks.
