A COALVILLE man is among four to have been sentenced at court for drug conspiracy after a global encrypted messaging service unearthed their criminal activity.

Kuldip Singh-Hayre, Navjot Singh Sandhu, Damien Wright - formerly of Broom Leys Road - and Kelly Williamson all previously pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court to conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

At the same court last week, the four men were sentenced as follows:

• Singh-Hayre was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in prison
• Sandhu was sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison
• Wright was sentenced to nine years and six months in prison
• Williamson was sentenced to six years and three months in prison

Singh-Hayre was also given a Serious Crime Prevention Order.

In 2020, detectives from East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) began an investigation into a number of individuals who had communicated through the 'EncroChat' server, an encrypted global communication service.

A worldwide system with some 10,000 users in the UK alone, the service was believed to be used exclusively by organised crime groups for criminal purposes allowing criminals - with an exclusive username - to communicate and exchange messages through a perceived secure network via a specially modified device.

The device was specially devised for messaging via a particular app and make and receive calls through an internet connection avoiding cell sites or mobile network. Messages could be set to be deleted, and a user would typically pay around £1,500 for the device for a contract lasting six months.

In 2016, the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), alongside international law enforcement agencies, began investigating EncroChat and under Operation Venetic, the internationally dedicated operation to target EncroChat users.

Four years later agencies in France and the Netherlands dismantled the server shutting it down.

Data recovered from the server identified data with several users having been based in the East Midlands; data which was handed over to EMSOU.

Through a combination of intelligence and data interrogation, EMSOU discovered that Singh-Hayre, who was linked to the username of 'luxurymist', and Sandhu, who was linked to the username of 'supremeship', were EncroChat users, and the exposed messages showed they had been involved in the supply of multiple kilos of cocaine throughout Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire which had been sourced elsewhere in the country.

The messages spoke of the agreed price for the drugs and arrangements around where it would be dropped off. One message even referred to buying a £2,000 cash counting machine, indicating the level of criminality involved to justify considering purchasing such an item.

The investigation also uncovered the involvement of Wright and Williamson as multi-kilo customers of Singh-Hayre's, with Wright plainly having a long-standing relationship of trust with him. Both were found to have ordered and paid for large quantities of cocaine from Singh-Hayre.

After a carefully planned operation, the four men were arrested and later charged with this offence and pleaded guilty as follows:

• Singh-Hayre, 53, formerly of Glenwood Close, Leicester pleaded guilty in June 2021
• Singh Sandhu, 48, formerly of Danbury Place, Leicester pleaded guilty in June 2024
• Wright, 48, formerly of Broom Leys Road, Coalville, Leicestershire pleaded guilty in July 2021
• Williamson, 60, formerly of Mansfield Rd, Papplewick, Nottinghamshire pleaded guilty in November 2021

Top: Left to right: Kuldip Singh-Hayre, Navjot Singh Sandhu

Bottom: Left to right: Damien Wright, Kelly Williamson

Detective Sergeant Chris Sewell, from East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: "It became clear from evidence unearthed that Singh-Hayre was embedded in organised crime, acting in a leading role in the movement of large amounts of controlled drugs via the use of encrypted mobile phones.

"Our team through detailed analysis were able to attribute the user profiles from the network to these two men and later uncover the detailed content of the messaging which referred to the sourcing of and transportation of the cocaine into the county.

"Encrypted communication has long since been chosen by organised crime groups due to its believed security and a trust that law enforcement agencies will be unable to obtain evidence from such a network. In short, they thought they were untouchable. The excellent expertise of colleagues within the NCA and abroad completely counteracted that theory by bringing the EncroChat server down and exposing thousands of criminals.

"Before the EncroChat network ceased operating, we suspect them to have purchased for onward sale in excess of 20 kilos of cocaine between January to June 2020. This is an estimated street value of over a million pounds.

"Our investigation required some painstaking work to attribute the users to these specific individuals in order to link them to the content of the messages exchanged, un-mask those responsible and stop a further significant amount of drugs being brought onto our streets."

DS Sewell added: "These men along with thousands of others used this server believing they were above the law and that this method of communicating would see their illicit activity go unnoticed.

"I hope this case demonstrates to our communities that we remain committed to tackling such crimes and that will use the latest technology and digital systems to help us in this fight."