Drugs Plot Busted Thanks to Police Hack of Encrypted Phone Chat
Jack Daniels and Andrew Talbot thought their encrypted phone chats on the secretive ‘Encrochat’ platform kept their cocaine and ketamine trade safe. Wrong. Police cracked the code after hacking the system in France and the Netherlands, sharing the intel with the National Crime Agency.
Encrypted Chats Unravel Big Drug Dealings
Between March and June 2020, a user named ‘simplyned’ was at the centre of massive drug shipments. Cops linked this alias to Daniels through phone mast data pinpointing his location. Though Daniels coordinated the supply, he relied on a courier nicknamed ‘Andy’ in the messages — who turned out to be Talbot. One key transaction happened in Staplehurst in May 2020.
Police cross-checked the encrypted messages with other intel before swooping in November 2020.
Arrests Lead to Jail Time
- On 26 November 2020, officers raided the men’s homes simultaneously. They found £4,500 stashed inside a shoe in Daniels’ bedroom alongside handwritten notes tied to the chats. Talbot’s place yielded small amounts of cocaine.
- Both were charged and later pled guilty to conspiring to supply cocaine and ketamine.
- Daniels, 32, from Sandgate, got seven years and eight months behind bars.
- Talbot, 32, from Folkestone, was sentenced to five years in prison.
Detective Praises Team’s Efforts
“Daniels and Talbot used a sophisticated and heavily encrypted messaging system to openly talk about the supply of cocaine and ketamine on our streets. They believed they were untouchable,” said Detective Inspector Kris Eberlein.
“The infiltrated chats gave us the suspicion we needed, but our team painstakingly gathered evidence from multiple sources to nail them beyond doubt. This shows we have the skills and resources to hit organised drug dealers hard. Expect more results like this this year.”
