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Two men who traded drugs and firearms sentenced to almost 40 years in prison

Max Williams from Wolverhampton and Daniel Morgan from Birmingham tried to hide their illegal and dangerous dealings behind encrypted phone conversations – their crimes were busted in an international operation, Target, by officers from West Midlands Police.

The pair thought they’d get away with it by using the encrypted messaging app EncroChat, a phone messaging service favored by criminals who believe messages sent on it can’t be seen by law enforcement — however, they were found out, and investigators began piecing together a case against the pair.

Max Williams and Daniel Morgan

Williams was found to be a broker in firearms, ammunition and Class A drugs, and the decoded conversations revealed that he was dealing in semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons as well as ammunition.

Hiding behind the username ‘Skilledtwig’, he was open about his business and had regular conversations with Morgan, who called himself ‘Noisy Jade’.

Both men were also involved in the buying and selling of large quantities of cocaine, heroin, MDMA and various strains of cannabis, in addition to hundreds of pills believed to be ecstasy.

A block of cocaine with “Paris” stamped into it

In 2020, law enforcement agencies across Europe developed a way to collect data from EncroChat and the information was shared with officers from the West Midlands Regional Organized Crime Unit (ROCUWM).

The chats showed men stocking their drugs and taking a paycheck, or how they took “a drink” off the top of the costs.

By cross-referencing the pair’s chats, mobile data and images on their phones, investigators were able to link them to their criminal trade.

The images included a photograph of a semi-automatic handgun, which was swapped for another firearm for around £15,000, and a photograph of a kilogram block of cocaine stamped with the word ‘Paris’.

A semi-automatic handgun was found in the home

Most of the discussions the men had around drugs were about quantities in kilos, half kilos and quarter kilos.

Morgan was arrested on 10 December 2020 and an address he used in Tyndale Crescent, Birmingham was searched. Officers seized more than £5,000 worth of cocaine and heroin, as well as £85,000 in cash.

Williams, 36, was arrested from his home in Sambrook Road, Wolverhampton, on December 11, 2020, where several phones were seized.

Williams denied supplying class A and B drugs and supplying firearms and ammunition but was found guilty after a four-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court last October. He was sentenced to 24 years in prison on May 2.

Morgan, 40, of Parkeston Crescent, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to the charges at an earlier hearing and was sentenced to 15 years.

Three blocks of cocaine were found alongside £85,000 in cash

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Cooke from ROCUWM said: “This was a highly complex investigation which saw us break into a supply chain of both firearms and drugs.

“As a result, we have prevented significant amounts of drugs and numerous firearms from reaching our streets. And both of these men have now received prison sentences that will keep them behind bars and out of our communities for a substantial period of time.

“Our commitment to take guns and drugs off our streets as Op Target continues from strength to strength as we take a defiant stand against a range of serious and organized crime.”

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “The successful prosecution and conviction of Max Williams and Daniel Morgan is a positive step in the fight against drug and arms trafficking.

“The defendants believed they could avoid detection by using the encrypted communications service Encrochat, but thanks to strong collaboration between the CPS and West Midlands Police, the French authorities and other criminal justice agencies, they were held accountable for their actions in keeping these goods out dangerous. our streets.

“It is hoped that the sentence will act as a deterrent to others who use encrypted networks to commit serious crimes.”

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