Chester man jailed for his involvement in an EncroChat commercial drugs and firearms operation

A man who was involved in the supply of cocaine, cannabis and firearms, through an encrypted device, has been jailed for 12 years and 6 months.

Robert Duff, of Hoole Lane, Chester, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Monday 19 August after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs and conspiracy to transfer prohibited weapons.

Using the handle ‘Tommybooth’, the 32-year-old used EncroChat to partake in a large-scale drugs conspiracy - a secretive communications network that was used exclusively by serious and organised criminals before it was cracked by international law enforcement in May 2020.

After EncroChat was brought down, Cheshire Police became part of a huge operation led by the National Crime Agency and working with the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit and the Crown Prosecution Service.

This led to Duff being identified as a suspect.

Data from a three-month snapshot - March to June 2020 - showed Duff using EncroChat to operate as a high-level broker of drugs and firearms.

He was seen to negotiate prices for kilo amounts of class A drugs from those involved in the importation of the bulk amounts. He conspired to facilitate the supply of 7.5 kilos of cocaine, acting as a broker, sitting between the seller and end purchaser.

He also ran his own multi-kilo cannabis supply operation in the Chester area, supplying 27.5 kilos of cannabis during the EncroChat capture period.

Duff also conspired to act as a broker for firearms, including AK47 assault rifles and sub machine guns. He circulated a ‘firearms shopping list’ and images of the weapons around his EncroChat contacts, offering them for sale.

On Wednesday 6 December 2023, officers from Cheshire Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit arrested Duff.

He was subsequently charged with conspiracy to supply class A and B drugs (cocaine, cannabis), and conspiracy to transfer prohibited weapons.

Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Nick Henderson of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit, said:

“This is part of a long running operation to strike at the heart of gangs who peddle drugs on a large-scale, causing misery and pain in our communities for their own monetary gain.

“Duff acted as a broker, negotiating prices for a multi kilo drug supply, on behalf of a number of well-established organised criminals via the EncroChat network.

“As part of his role, he sought out potential buyers for significant quantities of cocaine and deadly firearms, all to make a quick profit.

“Duff was motivated to become a key player like his associates - he had his own cannabis supply operating locally in Chester and was also conspiring to set up a substantial cocaine supply network in the north of England.

“He ran his conspiracy through a platform he believed would keep him under the radar.

“But after EncroChat was infiltrated, officers were able to comb through messages attributed to Duff under a codename and collect a catalogue of evidence against him.

“Thanks to this hard work, he is now facing a lengthy spell behind bars.

“We will continue to pursue drug dealers and those instrumental in the distribution of illegal drugs to protect the public from harm. I hope today’s sentence sends yet another message to the criminal fraternity that we will not stop making life difficult for those intent on committing crime within Cheshire."

If you have any information in relation to drugs offences, please contact:

http://www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us

... or call 101.

Pictured - Robert Duff of Hoole Lane in Chester.