Man who led commercial drugs operation through EncroChat jailed for 14 years

Dean Smith, who worked alongside Dean Anderson to distribute multi-kilos of heroin, cocaine and cannabis, has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment.

 The 27-year-old, of Seymour Drive in Ellesmere Port, used the Encro chat handle ‘Swampmaster’ and was the direct supplier to Mark Cavanagh and Michael Hailwood.

Alongside Anderson, and independently, Smith was found to have distributed 8kg of heroin, 19kg of cocaine and 30kg of cannabis nationally and into Scotland.

He was also in direct contact with individuals in the Columbia region trying to import 100kg of cocaine into the United Kingdom.

Smith was arrested in possession of his EncroChat mobile phone which was found smashed up in his van after international law enforcement had intercepted the network. A bag full of cash and kilos of cannabis were also recovered.

Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply class A and class B drugs and was jailed on Friday 30 September at Chester Crown as part of Cheshire Constabulary's Operation Olympia run by the Serious and Organised Crime Unit.

Judge Everett told Smith he was involved in the commercial supply of class A drugs on a ‘huge scale’ and that he was close to the top of the drug supply business, had contacts close to the source of drug supply and was in it purely for financial gain.

Pictured - Dean Smith of Seymour Drive in Ellesmere Port.